Ancient
by Black-Lyra
Summary: Since the fateful battle atop Mars Lighthouse and the release of Alchemy, many young heroes have had trouble moving on. But difficulty may become impossibility with coming war and the awakening of an ancient curse fated to shake the world's foundations.
1. Prologue

_**Prologue: Color**_

_They will see the world change and alter before their very eyes. They will witness the unleashing of a power that can make or break a new land, bring about absolute peace or churn with the iron-hard ruthlessness of endless war. The ones who dared to save the world will tremble as the abilities returning beneath the surface of the earth awaken the Ancient._

_They held such a plethora of colors._

_Within their souls and within their minds it swirled. Adepts all brimming with life and color the presence could not rightly fathom dared to defy fate. No, not all…_

_The boy with blue eyes had admitted his place freely and then betrayed those orders later. The one who turned him was almost devoid of color. His soul was dark and bitter. Directed towards the world and towards the heavens themselves. A cursed, sacrilegious boy who saw fit to strike back and fight back against the very gods. He would soon understand the ironic fate that awaited him…and despise himself because of it. _

_But how should the traitor fare? Well, he also had no choice but to accept the fate he'd laid down before his feet since the very beginning. _

_The only issue was the wildcard. The master of water who'd nearly outpaced everyone and almost stole a legendary power before it was transferred elsewhere, vanished and gone. He would be a nuisance. _

_Perhaps the man of the icy north was even great enough of a threat and an unpredictable factor to warrant his elimination. But no…in the end, he must also learn to embrace destiny or suffer in the attempt to flee it._

{-}

_Crouched in the shadow of a deep crevice at the foot of a mighty mountain, a young man with long, pale-blue hair breathed slowly to recover his energy, one hand poised on a bleeding shoulder and glowed faintly. He jerked with sharp spikes of pain as the Adept healed his injuries, the lack of energy forcing him to utilize more crude and imprecise methods, causing him to stitch his wounds together with a humiliatingly scarring technique. Normally, the Adept's powers would make fixing gashes a snap, and had taken no challenge in molding cuts and tearing lacerations back into seamlessly unmarked skin once more._

_Now there was a good chance these marks would not completely heal, even should he regain a good measure of his old abilities back. _Ah, no matter_….The blue-haired man thought to himself faintly, shrugging off another bout of white-hot agony that sliced through him as he reasoned that having a few scars was far more preferable to being a corpse. And yet, the fact that his dream was snatched away at the last second was nothing short of painful, even without the bloody wound on his side._

That clever snake…_ The water wielding man hissed as he struggled to close his gash with fingers trembling due to blood loss, _He's almost as bad as me in that regard. _After a few moments of tense silence, in which the crimson liquid finally ceased its relentless dripping, the injured man grasped the crumbling wall behind him with one searching hand in the darkness and pushed himself to his feet. At first, he glanced over at the crowd near the ruins of Vale as if in inclination to head there, paused, and shook his head quickly and taking a few steps backward. The Sun had been taken beyond his reach._

_It wasn't hard to divine the Wise One's intention for giving the power to another…which was primarily to move it somewhere that 'others' could not steal it. After all, there would be no point in giving Alchemy to Isaac if the guardian wasn't assured that it would be safe with him._

…I don't have a choice. I'll have to draw from another source if Golden Sun is barred… _It was theoretically possible…after all, if the Sun was the only core element of Alchemy, where would our Psyenergy be fueled from? Our powers are a downgrade of Alchemy, so they must stem from a source similar to the Sun… And that will be my ticket._

But there isn't much I can do now…_ He looked over the newly healed injury and the more-important issue of his weakened abilities, knowing that he'd need some time to recuperate and recover. However, there was also the problem of that suspected warmonger growing in power to the south. _There's no doubt in my mind that the new regent of Tolbi will come calling soon…

_**Two Years have since Passed…**_

_**The beginning's a bit unnerving in some ways isn't it? Never fear, all should be revealed.**_

_**R&R please!**_


	2. Aftermath & Anxieties

_**Chapter 1-Aftermath & Anxieties**_

_Those two years came and went with almost agonizing slowness, and the once calm land had begun to sink under the shadow of doubt once more. Tensions were rising between countries once content to trade and deal with one another in peace, and all eyes turned to the stirring giant of Tolbi, the gears of life within its high walls clinking active at the head of their new regent. It was only through good luck and grace that the previous ruler, with his unnatural age and use of fear, had not decided to make more active use of his massive army. However, suspicion continued to grow that the new lord was not as…hesitant as his predecessor._

_Vicious monsters guided by the unearthly glow of the brilliant sun; powerful creatures that now roamed with ever-increasing cunning and bravery, and forced the employment of monster hunters to counteract them. But for now, the land remained at peace, as calm as a world could remain when the beloved peace rested on the edge of a knife. _

_After two years of rebuilding, eight heroes had finally begun to start their new lives again…completely unaware of the shadow that slowly began to encroach upon the healing Weyard._

_{-}_

_(Piers)_

The wayward sailor was the last to join the group as they embarked on the journey of a lifetime, and yet, he was also the first to leave as well. There was no denying that he had felt a definite tie towards the allies he had fought life and limb to save time after time, even going so far as to consider them kin in a sense. After all, his uncle was the only blood of his still within this world and the home of his birth would no longer allow him to return to that last bit of family.

So was it really wrong for Piers to want to perhaps stay with the brother and sisters-of-arms who had saved him more times than he could count? Well, other than the relentless teasing from the two girls and the almost inaudible snickers of his cynical, dark-haired friend, not at all. He missed greatly the smell of the salt brine and the sound of breakers rising on the horizon, never fully comfortable staying on land for too long, yet the restlessness was certainly something that he had learned from his Adept friends and allies.

However, he couldn't help feeling that perhaps it was best if he moved aside and let them move on without him, no matter how painful it could become for him. After all, Piers knew full well that he felt out of place among the land-locked villages, always hungering for the call of the sea and eager to be out sailing the seas on his vessel once again. It was because, in the end, the open ocean was perhaps the closest thing to setting foot in his homeland once again.

What did it matter if he was alone?

After everything he had seen, the moments he enjoyed with his companions were suddenly so precious; constantly deflecting Sheba's probing questions about his background and age and pranks enough to consider it a daily joke, calming the fiery Jenna while chuckling to himself how strong-willed and stubbornly tenacious she was, and teaching grumbling Felix how to sail while protecting the stoic warrior from his own violent seasickness when lost outside his element.

It wasn't like he was going to be gone forever, right?

They'd see him again for certain.

_{-}_

_(Ivan)_

The young wind Adept had joined quite suddenly, for reason all his own, but once aware of the plight of his new friends, pledged himself to their cause and accompanied them across the world. In the beginning, he'd joined them out of convenience, but time and maturity transformed the action into a bond of friendship. At first he hadn't even questioned their grave quest, chasing down one who was once a friend, and not knowing that his actions would save the world instead of destroy it like they believed.

Ivan remembered being so shocked and appalled with himself and at the words of truth he heard in that little house in Contigo, but also slight shame in his inability to see this knowledge before. Hama had told him that he possessed the power of foresight without even having learned that power from her own hands, so then, why could he have not determined their true objectives from the start? And, even if he had seen the future and the truth, would Garet and Isaac have even been convinced anyway? After all, the fact that they were angry over the betrayal was no falsehood. But perhaps the shrouded future must be overcome with a blinded Sight to mature…At least, that's what the young Seer told himself to wipe away his doubts, even for the time being.

Besides, Hama had known the destiny they must embark on right from the beginning and the young boy couldn't honestly blame her, especially after he discovered his own blood relation to her that very day in Contigo. And without meaning to, was filled to the brim with joy at this discovery, only to have to stifle those feelings until the moment when the grand quest would draw to a conclusion. Though within his heart now rested the magnificent truth that he did indeed have a real family, someone who he could share more than just worries and concerns, but a real life. For, as much as the child saw Hammet as a caring and kind father figure, there was still no replacement for the wise guide who was really his older sister.

So as he sat there with his possessions packed in a patched little monochromatic sack, hesitant to leave his friends yet knowing this path was one that he truly wished to follow. Ivan knew now the Contigan blood that bonded him and Hama together, and decided that he wished to part ways with his friends to join her. Growing so close to his companions left him feeling guilty to be leaving but knew that one day he would see them again and closed his eyes in peaceful recognition, rising to his feet to begin another journey.

_{-}_

_(Mia)_

A young woman's heart was heavy with worries.

Not only for the world they had fought so hard to save, but for those left to pick up the pieces and start all over again, overcoming all the pain and sacrifice. In truth, perhaps dealing with the afterwards could be so much more trial-worthy than the act of defending life, and left without a goal to strive for after so many times of strife. What was left for them now, now that they had saved the world? How could those who had fought endless battles so easily settle down after coming so far?

No one would ever forget, be they hateful or grateful, of the circumstances all had tread upon in the incredible quest. And yet, they were all just kids, Mia knew full well, and balked that the experiences had scarred all of them forever. It almost seemed as though the glory days of youth were over before they had even begun to flower. How was she to go back to a normal life with that shadow of a past constantly hanging over her head, obscuring her vision from the necessity of the present and forcing others to stare in that ever-painful gauging look of deference? All that the young healer wished to do was return to the life in Imil that she had once forgotten, train her skills for the sake of the village's safety, all under the beautiful blue glow shining calmly from the azure lighthouse above. If however, her gifts were even still necessary for them.

Still, it didn't change the fact that His specter seemed to linger in the very air she breathed, and the soft crunching sound of snowdrifts beneath her feet, preventing Mia from ever truly forgetting. She cursed that vague remembrance and slight ache in the far corner of her conscious mind, silently demanding that the emptiness leave her in peace instead of being so stubbornly haunting, but achieved nothing more than the eerie howl of zephyrs racing over the snow-covered plains.

Sighing softly, the girl with ice-blue hair knelt before the fountain before her, studying the way that the angry purple bruise on her hand faded and vanished under the soft flow of crystal-clear water, pleased with the wondrous gift the great lighthouse had blessed Imil with. Perhaps this water could be a blessing for more than just this northern snowy town one day, and old wounds, both inside and out, could finally begin to heal.

_{-}_

_(Sheba)_

It was almost difficult to believe that she was even still alive and breathing, the young girl admitted to herself, running over everything in her mind. Even after the world had been saved, the Wind Adept simply couldn't bring herself to sit still and took to exploring the massive mountain north of Vale, eradicating monsters and collecting interesting trinkets along the highland paths. It was an exciting way to whittle the time away at least, and one that aided the teenage girl in overcoming her growing restlessness and unwillingness to sit in one place for too long, something strongly retained from her adventures.

For so long, Sheba had been isolated and alone even in the friendly atmosphere of her own village, never allowed to go out on her own and soon after found herself torn from Faran's embrace and cast into Tolbi's fierce clutches without a single word on the matter. But things changed quickly for her, almost too fast to follow. From the desert of winds she was taken and spirited away in the company of a group of people with abilities that vaguely resembled what had earned her so much attention over the years. Protected and defended fiercely by a young man with dark hair, Sheba let herself open up to him despite herself, sharing knowledge of her captivity and completely unable to revoke her newfound trust, especially after he risked his own life to save her. Near-death experiences tend to do that sort of thing to people.

Felix was quiet, but that was fine. After all, it was true that words could led to misunderstandings and have more harm than good at times, and perhaps that was the reason he disliked divulging a personal reason for the quest. She couldn't deny she was curious, always trying to find to truth, both to others and her own past. In the end though, the girl decided not to force her mind into the boundaries of others, fearing the idea of losing her trust with them and believing in the friends that she'd traveled with.

So she couldn't bring herself to leave Vale quite yet, discounting of course her frequent forays into the mountains to hunt, and trailed her thin legs over the edge of the house she crouched atop. Her brassy hair had grown out longer, no longer bothering with the close-cropped image she'd maintained in Lalivero, and the blonde locks now hung down her neck. Sheba glanced forlornly at the small house on the outskirts of town with a pained glance and turned her attention to the Sun above her head, unfamiliar images of battles flashing through her skull.

The girl only hoped that the destruction would not claim them again.

_{-}_

_(Garet)_

Peace at last!

Where did the time go? The world was moving on, but the young man felt like he was going in slow motion after the terrifying ferocity and conflict had passed. Nothing had the same vibe to it any longer, hell, he couldn't even step near certain areas of the village without bringing up some bad memories without meaning to. Everything felt so alien and unreal, and even his own bed was less familiar than the borrowed fabric of a roadside inn, and he would often stop with a confused glance when someone waved at him as he passed by before remembering what was happening.

Garet knew that people had newfound respect for him and Isaac after the journey across Weyard, but it always continued to feel awkward and unnatural, and he found himself with a half-expectant look while waiting impatiently for some witty insult. He knew he wasn't a freaking scholar thanks to Ivan, but it was still easy to know when someone was making fun of him. Over time on the epic quest though, the jabs were less insulting and more playful, and a casual conversation started to feel meaninglessly empty without them, even if it was the little Wind Adepts teasing him.

Grandfather had started teaching him more as well, and didn't take a genius to figure out why. With the mayor's health starting to deteriorate, people started to question whether it would be best for Garet to start learning more of his mayor's job, and inherit the position one day. Personally, the Flame user found this to be a terrible idea, but only ever dared to vent in front of his friends after the first time Kay smacked him for it.

Yet, even though he was trying to move on, the Adept still found himself at the back of the village at times, swinging his axe and practicing as though some massive danger still shadowed his movements. Or maybe the training was peaceful to him, at least, compared to the shocking change of Vale's apparent lethargy on his action-oriented mind.

_{-}_

_(Jenna)_

God, why are the guys being so dumb?

The slow oblivion eating away at her world was ceased now and though vicious monsters still roamed the southern plains, they posed no danger compared to the beasts she'd fought and defeated within the lighthouses. So why was everyone acting so down? The puzzling nature of the situation was lost on her, the young girl with a fiery disposition and the tendency to solve problems through actions instead of simple words, and Jenna wanted to demand answers from _somebody_ before the weirdness got the best of her.

Mia and Piers had both left, and she knew that Ivan was planning to leave soon as well, but their reasons were understandable now that she really thought about it, quiet for a moment's reflection. Garet seemed confused and the female Flame Adept could think of a few fairly rude reasons why; Isaac always seemed busy lately, coming and going all the time; Ivan was leaving Vale, maybe for a long time; and Sheba was quiet for once and usually liked to disappear on little adventures from time to time. The only one who seemed to have not allowed people to see how he'd changed on the journey was her older brother and Jenna found herself wishing she had something to do as well. The energy was racing through her body more and more every day, demanding that she do something with it, and she ruefully thought that maybe the other flame user had the right idea with training after all.

The Sun above and the impatient fire within her…didn't seem at peace as she thought she'd be. Everything was over, right? This was what Jenna had fought so hard to obtain, her family all together again like they should be. All of the twisted trials and problems that had torn her life apart in the past had been resolved. So why was her heart pounding like a drum every time she stared into that glowing orb in the sky?

_{-}_

_(Isaac)_

The young man perched on the edge of a sharp cliff that overlooked the budding village that was his homeland, running his hands tensely through his light brown-blonde hair and sighed as he stared at the Golden Sun once more, as if hoping something would happen. The brilliant light replied with nothing more than a vague pulse which had been the only reaction the villagers had seen from the light, bathing the valley in a yellow glow.

From the moment that events had settled down after the Sun's rising, a heated effort had begun to bring Vale back to life once more, the location moving farther south so that they wouldn't be so near the glow that people were deprived of their sleep. Isaac departed the growing town many times, visiting nearby cities to request assistance in the form of workers and materials. Felix often aided him on these forays, but usually ended up transferring all his collected goods to the younger boy before reentering Vale. The blonde never asked the reason behind it, fearing that intruding might drive him off from helping with those necessary trips. After all, neither of them could bring themselves to relax and stubbornly held ground in the matter of keeping guards watching the village just in case.

Shaking his head and rising to his feet, Isaac focused his gaze for a moment on the ruins of Mount Aleph, a harder edge coming into his features for a few seconds as he searched it. A few days after their return, he had personally sifted through the rubble along with the others, but found nothing. It was only slightly disappointing.

The swordsman had grown somewhat over the past two years, but not by much and he kept his head more or less the way he'd always liked it. Isaac had more or less maintained the same image that the villagers had come to recognize him by, and blankly noted that the fact seemed to improve morale for rebuilding, but some small chances did crop up occasionally. His armor was newer, more intricate and thorough, and even found a few metal disks of fine steel to attach to his gauntlets to reinforce them. His unchanged, yellow scarf swung wildly around his neck in the morning breeze.

Isaac remembered vaguely now the promise made to himself two years before that nothing would harm Vale again, whether it be bandits or monsters, nothing would ruin this peace again.

_{-}_

_(Felix)_

Loose soil…fell silently to the loamy ground between his gloved fingers under inaudible spoken words and the warrior opened his hand and let the mass fall, before his palm swiftly joined the earth he'd dropped, a dark green glow forming around his hand. An almost unnoticeable circular glow extended outward across the village, and the swordsman sensed everything within that field. He paused for a minute, searching for danger, before releasing his hold upon the energy and the green light faded away.

It was a simple ritual; something that allowed Felix to maintain his strained grip on protecting Vale from danger. Every day he performed it, scanning the encompassing area for any sign of danger and setting down a day-long barrier that would alert him or Isaac to any intruders in the village. Inventing and forming such complex Psyenergy enchantments had taken the combined research of him and Kraden, along with preliminary testing with Isaac. But, in the end, it felt like a little accomplishment to the brunette earth wielder.

After all, it was the very least he could do to repay them for allowing him to even stay in his home after what had happened in the Sanctum. The dark-haired fighter never pleaded for forgiveness for his actions, for the people of Vale were stubborn and suspicious by nature; it was best to simply let them wait until they wanted to let the past go, and accept the necessary evil. Until that time came, he had built a cottage on the western-most edge of the valley, visiting occasionally to see friends, family and tried not to obey his instinct of avoiding the villagers entirely.

Felix snatched up his sword and sheathed it by his side, kicking at the earth rune he used the blade to draw in the soil, no longer requiring the ability until the next day. Building the rune, scanning the area and building he barrier was now more habit than anything and as natural as breathing. Dusting off his thick darkly hued clothes and starting the walk back home, the fighter waited a few moments as he came across two children in his path. They backed up rapidly as their gaze met his curiously narrowed eyes, which had darkened over the years to a near black reminiscent of crude oil, and took off running in the direction of the city center while cursing with panicked voices.

Putting off chasing after them, with the knowledge it might appear far worse than it actually was, Felix glanced at the direction the kids disappeared to and realized with some annoyance the reason why they were there. It was no secret that some of the younger children were scared of him, though he'd never dare harm them, and the more fierce ones thought to make a game of it, daring each other on how close they could get to his little house before getting too frightened and running home.

Leaning against the outer wall of the small cottage and calming the long wild hair that gathered around his face with a casual hand, Felix took a slow, pensive breath. Was there some reason why he felt so tense? He stared at the silent ground beneath his feet in a harsh glare, wondering why his wards…no longer reassured him the way they once did.

_{-}_

_(Kraden)_

Surely this couldn't possibly be true!

Given permission to study the crumbled ruins of the great Sanctum nearly crushed to pieces under Mount Aleph's weight was one thing, but the presence of the runic language on the cracked stone was another entirely. Though at first guilty that he had been allowed to enter this hallowed place instead of the hated 'traitor' who'd saved them, Kraden was soon swept away by what he found there. On their previous visit to the Sol Sanctum, the small group had been in a hurry and the scholar had no time to stop and puzzle over the words scrawled in massive arrays of texts across the walls. It wasn't until now that the old teacher truly saw the magnitude of how much writing adorned the richly carved brickwork.

Almost every piece was scrawled out with something that greatly resembled a gigantic narrative, continuing uninterrupted (or would've been, had the walls not crumbled), for an undefinable amount of space. Surely the chronicle laid out in this story must be a recorded history of events many years in the past, for what else could occupy such a massive area of text?

The difficult part was that the writing was in a very old style, similar in aspect to the runic language engraved in the Lighthouses, seen when Kraden had first studied the markings in records in Tolbi, and abided by a different dialect. Translating the words would be tough, but not impossible. Given time, he could perhaps, unlock secrets of history and alchemy lost long ago to the ancient world; maybe even use that knowledge to benefit the revitalized Weyard. The current city-states and townships were too long divided and isolated, broken apart by their distant relations and weakness against the monsters of the wild, halting the progress of humanity. Alchemy could correct this inadequacy and encourage growth and trade as the elements in nature stabilized themselves and more Adepts awakened to counter the wild beasts. What other secrets lay here that could aid the awakened world?

But to the scholar's surprise, he found that many important sections of the text had been worn away and by what was completely uncertain. After all, the rest of the wording appeared completely untouched after what was probably many centuries along with the mountain's collapse, as though parts were intentionally erased…

But who would destroy such important information?

Unless the truth behind these words was more dangerous than Kraden had accounted for.

**Consider this a run-down of the character's lives afterward and how well they are faring. **

**I didn't reference Dark Dawn events in this story because the idea for this story came into being before I ever heard about the third game, so be warned. **

**R&R please!**


	3. Why do we Fight?

_**Chapter 2-Why do we Fight?**_

_-"For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction."_

The young warrior's boots scuffed the earthy surface in swift strokes as he adjusted his positioning on the dry dirt beneath his feet, kicking up small clouds of dust with every infinitesimal movement, and studied the exact composition of the soil. Soft and loose, but grainy enough to hold his actions without practically collapsing underneath him, the young man observed quickly, his eyes tracing briefly over the ground before bringing his vision upon the opponent before him. Isaac's eyes locked with his dark-eyed companion, who refused to twitch to break his iron-locked stance, and gestured with his sword to get a move on. The younger fighter shifted the tense grip on his dull sword and edged around to the side of his sparring partner, who made no move other than to turn his head slowly to keep his form within sight, all emotion wiped from his shadowed face.

There was a definite trained discipline in the way that Felix fought, focused on absolutely nothing but the act of battle, and blocking out all external thoughts from his subconscious. The fighter was normally quite calm, this was true, but even the small friendship and soft words spoken seemed like a memory now with that coldly blank stare on his face. And suddenly, his stock-still body sprung into action as the older fighter brought his longer blade around in a fierce arc, blocking the rushing strike launched by Isaac's running attack; the younger frowned slightly and spun free, detaching himself and breaking away. There was only the slightest breath of a pause before Isaac sprung at his foe once more, swinging his weapon rapidly.

It quickly became clear to the gathered audience that the two warriors' styles of fighting had little to nothing in common, with the slight exception of their shared preference for swords, and judging who was stronger was nigh impossible.

When observing Felix in combat, the initial word that came to mind was 'mountain.' His stance was stubborn and unyielding, never once stepping back an inch as rapid blows were rained upon his effortless parries. He wasted no energy, using no more than one or two movements to accomplish his guards and strikes, the very epitome of efficiency. At the same time though, he displayed a slight annoyance at the people swarmed to watch their battle, his lip curled ever so slightly in a tiny snarl.

Isaac on the other hand, was better compared to a 'vine.' The blonde-haired fighter was smaller, and moved slightly faster than his opponent, dodging and striking around the other's barriers while easily flashing away. He had a flexibility that allowed him to avoid Felix's strokes with more finesse than most trained soldiers twice his age. His face went through a variety of emotions as he whirled and cut, capturing the essence of a fencer when compared to a heavy-handed knight.

So engrossed was he in the raging conflict that Isaac was almost completely unaware of his partner's growing distraction until his blade slipped under the normally impassable shield and nicked Felix along the arm, causing the long-haired one to back away for once in confusion. And the young man glanced with an empty stare at the blood on his arm as if not realizing for a moment where it had sprung from, still dazed until he heard the encouraging sounds from their audience…directed towards Isaac. Sudden as the shattering of glass, the blank pallor fell from Felix's face and was replaced with a wave of anger and sorrow. The blonde swordsman extended a hand warily, as if to attempt to comfort his friend at the sound of the townspeople cheering at the apparent victory his cut had achieved, but before a single word of placation left his lips, the dark warrior lunged forward.

Gone was the calm, blank stoicism that had held him in his single position during their brawl. Gone was his unwillingness to pursue and chase after his dodging form. The mountain had become a landslide.

Rage boiled from the young man's features, focused on something in the distance, and Isaac knew instinctively that this fight was merely a convenient way for his ally to vent and still his temper. And yet, the blonde found himself stumbling backwards under the furiously pounding attacks distributed in rapid succession from the long sword, back stepping swiftly to try to catch a breather from Felix's untamed fury. Isaac realized now that his friend was faster than he gave him credit for previously, losing ground again and again as he was driven back under those blows, the other's height granting him additional strength. The hero instinctively knew that he could turn this fight around and even out his attacks to match Felix, but he was too unnerved to even think twice about it, and flinched suddenly as the touch of cold iron against his glove startled him enough for his sword to be knocked out of his hands. An instant later, the dark warrior's blade was pointed at his throat, both of them now breathing heavily and just noticing how much effort the spar had taken.

The crowd was incredibly, eerily silent and tense on the humid air, eventually turning away and dispersing. Felix lowered his weapon with a few whispered curses, hurling the accursed object to the ground as though touching it had tainted him somehow and averted his eyes from Isaac slowly. His tone dulled and the furious fire died from his eyes then, leaving an empty voice as he gestured to the blonde slowly, and "You struck me first. It's your victory, Isaac." It was almost as though he'd used up all the emotion he could muster in that earlier fit of rage.

"Felix, wait!" The younger fighter's voice stopped him as he had started to leave, and paused as Isaac picked himself up from the dirt, dusting off his bright scarf, and walked up to him. "I think I understand why you're so upset, but I think that they will forgive you eventually." Felix sighed and deliberately shook his head slowly side to side, clearly not believing the hopeful words spewing from his friend's mouth. His bleak stare clearly stated: 'If two years isn't long enough, then what is?' Growling to himself about how ineffective his arguments always were against the elder Earth Adept, as though they were potently ignored, the young man tried again to make his voice heard. "I know it's tough, even if…I can't really relate…I still realize how hard this all is-"

"Why is it that we fight like this?" Felix's voice cut off the other's abruptly, his gaze becoming more misty-eyed than what was normal for him, and stared hazily at the sword he'd abandoned. "Ever since the first the first time we've sparred like this, over a year ago…I've contemplated…leaving this place. Maybe for good."

The words left an instantaneous impression and Isaac lost his composure, bursting out, "but Vale is your home! And what about Jenna-"

The brunette whirled on him then, a faint gleam of his earlier anger sparking somewhere deep inside his eyes, but his fellow Earth Adept glared back into his face and was not cowed in the slightest. Sighing slowly and regaining his calm, Felix measured his reaction with a steady eye as he spoke, "One person can only take so much rejection before they return the favor and start rejecting as well…and I am nearing the breaking point of patience. As for Jenna…of course I would never want to leave her alone, but she doesn't need me anymore and I can't keep dragging her into my…reputation." His voice was as smooth as liquid and Isaac was reminded vaguely of those cooled words once used to rally his team to another cause over two years ago. He had that determined quality before that had soothed the furious tempers of those who were tasked with stopping his mission, which had earned him such strength of leadership that was never doubted during the final journey to Mars Lighthouse. However…it was becoming obvious that Felix was different now from the quest, in a way that cut most clear to Isaac, being from the same alignment and also forced to hold such great responsibility.

Having willingly risked life, limb, and his own happiness to save the world… Suddenly the problem seemed to be so obvious that the Adept was angry that he hadn't seen it earlier. "You don't know what to do with yourself, do you?" It was a harsh and insensitive way to ask that the younger boy instantly regretted phrasing his knowledge in such a manner, but if Felix's countenance was anything to judge by, it hadn't really mattered all that much.

"Basically, that's right. After throwing everything away for Weyard…I don't even remember how to be who I was before this all started. So how can I go back to the way things used to be?" He almost sounded puzzled as well as frustrated, both with himself and with the situation itself, and his friend now regretted bringing the subject up in the first place. He retrieved his sword then and sheathed it, not bothering to wait for an answer from Isaac which would never come, and tiredly headed back to the cabin on New Vale's outskirts he now called home. The hero growled and clenched his fist tightly as the dark-haired one stalked away; hating the fact he was so right. To Felix, lighting the beacons become less of a mission and almost like a reason for being, unlike Isaac, who felt the painful words of 'duty' and 'task' float around as his purpose for journeying.

He barely managed to stop himself from thinking aloud, "This never would've happened if the Wise One had only told us the truth from the start." The possibilities were endless. Vale might've listened to the pleas from Prox and could've agreed to aid in the relighting. Felix would never have been considered a traitor and would still have his old life before the mission had destroyed it so utterly. And Isaac himself…would never have been praised as a 'hero' while swimming in the guilt he now felt in what he was ordered to do. Why did the guardian ever do this? Was it all some kind of test to prove his worth? What kind of guardian creates a test so cruel that it destroys lives forever?

Isaac's wave of swirling thoughts were suddenly shattered as a small poke on his shoulder caused the young man to nearly leap a foot straight into the air, and spun around jerkily to see the deviously grinning Sheba behind him, her bright eyes sparkling with amusement. She had the secretive yet smug attitude so unique to her, hands clasped behind her thin frame, and hair tickling the lower portion of her neck. Her blonde hair had been growing ever more wild around her face over time, matching perfectly with her equally wild personality, but the hero had to wonder where she'd got the idea, _Is she starting to take after Felix now? Well, she can't emulate his attitude at least._

"I saw the fight earlier," She said suddenly, startling the fighter with the combination of her grin and words. "Are you brooding because he beat you? C'mon, the score between you guys is basically even so don't sweat the details. I mean, I usually only ever see _him_ be that seriously in thought." Sheba didn't ever change underneath the sometimes mystic demeanor, it seemed. She was a whirlwind of words and emotions that rarely slowed down while in the middle of an important thought, and in Isaac's opinion, generally tougher to deal with than Ivan. But she was upbeat, which the same couldn't always be said of others, and was part of the reason that the united group was able to stay light-hearted on the way to the final lighthouse.

Which was exactly why he didn't mind being a little snippy with her. "We have enough people gathered around watching us without you there, Sheba. Besides, I wasn't _brooding_, I was reasoning something out before you broke my concentration." The teenage girl only snickered and opened her mouth as if to say something to reply, but closed it abruptly with a more serious expression on her face, glancing away from his face almost…guiltily? "Hey, what's the matter?"

"The truth is…Isaac, I've been having…visions recently. About all our friends…" She stopped, searching his face swiftly as if trying to find a hint of disbelief, but Isaac made an effort to remain neutral under the gaze and she soon ceased. There was no prickling feeling of mindreading that he had come to recognize back when Ivan had so rudely read his thoughts two years ago, so he could be sure Sheba was only checking his expression. "I'm getting concerned about everybody, especially our friends who've left Vale. Every other night, I 've been having these dreams about a malicious shadow to the south, growing in power and making its way north." While she spoke, Isaac found that his eyes were steadily widening in the story's telling. So there really wasn't a perfect peace awaiting them.

"Why come to me first about this?" Honestly, he would have suspected Sheba to relay such sensitive knowledge to Felix instead, considering how comfortable she was around him and the warrior's clear trust in the girl as well. Despite this, he knew full well not to disregard the visions of a Wind Adept, aware that the past or even future could be contained in those forgotten pictures and words.

"Honestly, I didn't…" Her hesitant face told him volumes about how she had trouble coming to him about the problem, "I sent a letter to Mia asking for her help a few days ago. If she got my note by now, then she might be heading here to meet us. And I…I didn't speak to Felix because I think that I shouldn't involve him in this." The child of the wind fiddled with her fingers and averted her eyes slowly, letting the hero realize subtly that the only reason why she could've excluded Felix was likely because she was worried about him. "I'm concerned about that presence and I even traveled down to Kalay not too long ago to scout it out." Before Isaac could even begin to act shocked and express surprise about her sneaking out on a scouting mission on her own without telling anybody, a little taken aback that Sheba would take off on such a long journey alone, she launched into her story again. "Isaac, people there are afraid. There have been whispers…more than rumors of conflict or even war between Kalay and Tolbi. The new regent of that place has been recruiting soldiers by the hundreds and building huge ships… He has to be planning something massive."

Isaac blanched, and his vision flashed to the dull sparring blade still implanted in the ground nearby from when his furious foe had knocked it out of his hands, and his chest pounded nervously at the thought of a danger far worse than wild monsters unleashed upon the world. It was not totally unexpected, and really everyone knew that releasing Alchemy could cause strife such as war, but it didn't make the news any less painful to hear in reality rather than possibility. What exactly were they supposed to do about an actual war? Other than get involved personally and pick a side, which seemed like the most dangerous and horrible thing they could possibly do, what was a small group of Adepts capable of doing to prevent total chaos?

Of course, if they had set chaos free, then it was their duty to contain it. But then again, did either of the factions have access or knowledge of Alchemy in the first place?

Perhaps someone had to check it out after all.

"What about Ivan and Piers? Have you been able to contact them as well?" Quietly, the blonde knew that getting in touch with the wayward Lemurian would require a vast amount of luck and good timing, otherwise he'd be totally unreachable to their search attempts. It was only after the sailor was long gone that Isaac cursed himself for leaving his borrowed ship in Contigo from when they'd joined up at the Jupiter Lighthouse, thus preventing the nearly leisure exploration he'd been able to enjoy on the seas before. Plus, a boat would've been useful for requesting supplies from more distant villages ages ago.

Ivan, on the other hand…

"I don't think my letter has made it to Ivan yet, but I hired a courier to take the route for me, and…I think we all know that contacting Piers is next to impossible until he decides to pay us a visit. But Mia should be here by tomorrow if my math is correct, which I'm pretty sure it is." The girl glanced up at his face swiftly and nodded when he gave the quick look of acceptance in response to the information she gave him. As pleasing as it was to know that the kind-hearted healer was on her way to join them, the feeling was dulled by exactly why she was coming. Sheba had gotten the right idea; dealing with the possibility of war involved all of them.

Except for the fact that Piers was beyond their reach and for some reason, the teenage girl wanted to leave a certain dark-haired young man out of the conflict.

But there was nothing to be done about it yet. At least, not until Mia returned.

{-}

Two wandered through the streets of Vale, a fiery aura hanging off their sharply contrasting body shapes as they chatted listlessly. The fire wielders were usually loud in their own right, but this time kept their voices lower while a tense conversation flew between them.

"I'm telling you, Isaac and Felix definitely had the right idea. A good spar every now and then really helps to relax you, if you just try it occasionally!" Garet had his arms crossed leisurely behind his head as he walked down the dirt pathway, a slight grin encouraging the young woman to agree with him. They were both nineteen now and officially adults in the eyes of the world, which pleased the spikey haired warrior immensely.

"I don't want to turn into some raging muscle head!" Jenna replied back in a snapped manner so common to her, slightly miffed about how weak that response actually was. Garet looked startled for a second, before crossing his arms back in front of his chest with a big grin plastered on his face, appearing rather unfazed by the outburst. "Besides, why do we need to train anyway…?" The girl said this considerably quieter, her eyes averted sheepishly. Honestly, now that her family was all reunited again and the world revived, all she wanted to do was go back to her life before. If only this uneasiness would go away…

The male Fire Adept gave her a pointed glance, wondering why she wanted to off everything they were so accustomed to not too long ago. "Are you sure about that, Jenna?" At her pause though, he launched into another topic fast enough to throw her off her contemplations, "But since your brother and Isaac seem so keen on sparring all the time…which one do you root for?"

Heat smoldered in the teenage girl's cheeks as the slight bit of composure she'd held a few moments before vanished in a puff of smoke. "What do you mean by that? W-who else would I cheer for but family?"

"Jenna, I'm not _that_ blind," Garet actually had the will to appear offended, while the ever-increasing red grew on Jenna's face.

"Forget it, I'm not talking about this anymore!" Stomping a foot on the loamy soil, and making it clear that she had enough of the subject, Jenna spun on her heel and marched away with the hunched shoulders of profound annoyance. At least that was one thing the siblings had in common: the tendency to so rudely walk out on a conversation if provoked. Of course, with the sister, sometimes fire was involved to a degree. But Garet still managed out a few chuckles after the girl made a hasty exit from him. She really did have a thing for him, didn't she?

{-}

When Felix left the blonde warrior by himself, he had not gone very far.

Hearing the approach of the young Wind Adept not long after, he had simply circled around the side of the building and leaned nonchalantly against it, letting his head scrape slightly against the wooden boards as he heard the distant string of conversation from between Isaac and Sheba. As the swift teasing of the girl settled into one tone of hesitation and concern, the fighter's eyes narrowed dangerously and even more so when he heard the obvious doubt in wanting to tell him about the problem.

Felix was not a person who preferred to or was accustomed to being coddled, as he felt he was now. Three years of near frostbite and captivity long ago killed any expectations the young man had of people going easy on him, Saturos and Menardi had made sure of that.

And yet, he was being left out.

The hated word 'pity' struck him then, and Felix ground his teeth in barely repressed anger. The villagers hated his very existence and his friends now felt sorry for him. The Earth Adept couldn't stand the idea of even more people constantly reminding him of what he'd lost or how much he'd suffered. _Damn it all! Why can't they just let that shit die?_ _I can't be fixed anymore…_

A long time ago, like a fleeting memory, he remembered a boy who was innocent and kind and shared his likeness. That child had believed in the world and its people so dearly, never once imagining a fate so depraved as the one he was destined to walk. The kid was scrawny and absurdly thin, making him fragile and weak in the eyes of his peers. Having been forced to rely of those stronger and smarter than he never made that weakness fade. But that's all that boy was: a memory. Once the cold pallor descended over him along with the truth of the world, the original "Felix" had died, along with the life he'd lead. The only similarity between them was the face; the rest he'd been forced to so ruthlessly cast aside and abandon for a mission that outweighed the value of his life. Whatever purity he once had was already long gone, and taken away from the moment he returned to Valean soil.

Once, he remembered his eyes, which seemed like such an unimportant change compared to his attitude, but felt as though they were much more. When he was fifteen and before the storm they were honey-brown and softer then he could clearly recall. But over the three year timespan in which Felix was isolated, his gaze became a deep, earth brown. And now they had changed even further.

It was yet another piece of evidence on how much he'd changed since then.

So the brunette couldn't stop himself from the soft snort of irritation he gave as he listened patiently to Sheba quietly discussing the possibility of war to the south. They debated for a few moments, and then separated, leaving Felix in silence to contemplate what he had heard. No way in hell was he going to be left out of this while his comrades could possibly be heading straight into a battlefield.

The warrior was distracted enough that he didn't notice the girl sneaking up behind him.

His body tensed suddenly as a slight tingle of energy pulsed on the edges of his mind, and an iron-hard mental wall slammed down instinctively around his subconscious and ousted the intruder with a flick of his thoughts. "You should know better by now, Sheba," Felix told her quietly with a voice lacking both warmth and anger, which was a curiously neutral tone common now to his speech. The younger Adept eyed him quizzically and her mouth narrowed into a thin line, clearly a bit miffed that he'd thrown her off so easily.

It wasn't impossible to resist the pull of a Mind Read, though it wasn't an art known to many, much less taught in case of an emergency. The silent brunette was already proficient enough at hiding his thoughts and feelings when necessary, and deflecting Psynergy from a wind wielder was only just a few steps up. Over time, those invisible walls had grown ever stronger, giving the fighter a small bout of pride for the accomplishment he made. The empty recesses of his mind were the only remaining sanctuary he could flee to in order to escape the pity and hate; so he made certain that his last refuge would not be defiled, regardless of whatever innocent intentions prompted such a search.

"I wouldn't be trying if you didn't make it so tempting all the time," She grinned impishly, but he could detect a faint twinge of embarrassment under her usual façade. So she did regret it slightly.

Felix gave her an unamused glance.

"Well, it's true! Who else do we know that acts so 'enigmatic' all the time?" It was a joke certainly, but carried the weight of truth deep within the words.

So the young man ignored the implications the only way he knew how. He shrugged nonchalantly and let out a very convincing yawn to show her how little that mattered to him, causing the girl to roll her eyes slowly.

"You're not fooling me, Felix. We all know you like to keep things to yourself…and that's fine. Or it would be, if it didn't give us a reason to worry." Sheba continued, not quite noticing the subtle frown on the warrior's face. "And besides, you were eavesdropping on me and Isaac talking just now weren't you?"

His only answer was a dull grimace.

"I knew it! I had this feeling someone was nearby not too long ago…you've been listening this whole time!" She paused slightly, if only to claim a small breath to calm the pace of her words and heart, "Any moment would have been great to step in y'know…"

Felix knew that of all people, Sheba was the worst choice to dare to keep a secret from, mainly because she could hound you forever about it. He still had Piers to thanks for that little piece of information. "Having a few things you want to keep to yourself is normal, but a possible war for survival isn't something I want to be hidden from me. I'm sorry about acting so distant, but you understand why I do this; but everyone else…they still have their lives…and pasts intact."

Sheba nodded, confirming his suspicions. She was a smart girl and knew that he wanted to make sure his friends were happy, even if he preferred not to show it so blatantly. The wind user spun on her heel and with back turned, leaned her head to the side in her own personal gesture of changing the subject, brass-colored locks brushing the back of her neck softly. When the girl swiveled back to him, there was a brighter smile capturing her delicate features that softened Felix's tense stare somewhat, as curiosity gave way to excitement.

"Well, forget about that stuff for now. No need to worry yet when we can't even do anything about it right? So, how's the Alchemy research going?"

Felix let his feet pick up and walked casually with her throughout the village, allowing his mind to drift and spoke of the studies he'd been conducting on the runic script found within the Sanctum ruins. Or, more accurately, what Kraden could translate and relay to him. The old scholar couldn't possibly do all the work by himself so the Earth Adept busied himself by transcribing what the elder found on paper so they had a complete written record of the translations thus far. Nevertheless, the job was time-consuming and distracting, despite being rather tedious and irritating at times.

"Bloody slow, that's what it is," He exhaled loudly, his earlier anger fading away into a dull, relaxed state as more everyday conversation poured from him. If researching the effects and methods of channeling Alchemy could be considered 'every day.' He sighed and ran a hand through his long hair, barely paying any notice to the silky brown locks drifting wildly around his face. "I can only work as fast as Kraden can translate, and you know how that scholar can get carried away in there. Besides, it's not like I can exactly go in there and retrieve him when he gets…"

The Earth Adept trailed off, realizing he'd just accidentally brought up the earlier subject both were trying to avoid. Luckily, Sheba was able to pull his attention back before he grew detached yet again as she said to him, "Don't worry about the old man so much, Felix! If he starts getting late, just call me and I'll bring him back in a flash, okay? Although, if you want my help, you have to give me some more information on what you two are working on…"

There was that sly grin again.

He found it hard to believe that at any point she could have fit the description of a 'holy' maiden with that devious attitude of hers. Still, the work wasn't exactly a secret, just that nobody ever brought up what he was doing. Relaxing and turning his head to study her expression, his dark eyes appearing calmer and softer than before, the Adept allowed a hesitant smile to flicker across his face before slipping his hands into his pockets with a sudden motion.

"Alchemy remains unpredictable as of yet. We have no idea who might try to control it or what destruction that energy may cause…" Felix hesitated, knowing that the threat didn't scar him nearly as much as the thought of impending war, and briefly wondered why. "We need a way to channel and calm that power, to keep us safe."

She gave him a wide-eyed star in response, lacking words this time. He couldn't exactly blame her. Alchemy was an incredibly unstable power; that was long proven when the obliteration of Vale coincided with the release of Golden Sun, and it needed to be stabilize. Ever since the scholar had told him of what he had uncovered, Felix found that he agreed whole-heartedly on the matter. It was rotten luck that led to possible war just when Kraden was on the verge of unlocking the method to their goals.

To channel the light of the gods and calm Alchemy, he only required one thing of enormous value, unknown origins, and legendary power:

The Stone of Sages.

**And now I bring in a major point of conflict. Two in fact.**

**Let's see how the act of war will interfere with the all-important research that's taking place.**

**R&R!**


	4. Union and Letters

_**Chapter Three-Union and Letters**_

_-"Take the road less traveled."_

-Imil-

When Mia first received the letter from Vale, she hadn't thought much of what it may contain, assuming that it was merely just a casual correspondence from her friends checking up on her. Her shock became clear when she broke the seal on the envelope and slipped the paper out for a read. The cleric certainly hadn't expected to find a plea for assistance and suspicions of approaching danger written by Sheba of all people, who was not known to ask others for help except in the most dire of situations. It described in detail the concerning events taking place in Kalay and Tolbi that made the girl believe that the Wind Adept must have scouted this out on her own, despite the danger. The letter also asked her to head to Vale as soon as possible.

Breathing hard and trying to get her thoughts in order, Mia folded the note back up and clenched the piece of paper tightly in her hand while she took a moment to calm her racing mind, the material of the note tearing slightly in her unconsciously strong grip. Slipping the letter into one of the folds of her ivory white dress, the cleric rose to her feet and exited her cozy little house swiftly, eddies of snow rising around her footsteps as her movements kicked the icy substance into the circling breeze around her. Heels sinking with a light crunch into the snow-covered path, she made her way to the Sanctuary in utter silence, watching the dark-tinted windows carefully in case one of the slumbering townsfolk woke suddenly in the night to question her.

Cold days and nights were normal for her, but the freezing temperatures had given her chills when she'd returned home, having grown used to the warmer air in the south. Mia adjusted well enough though, returning to the home of her youth, and the shining Lighthouse that stood beautifully over Imil as a testament to what had transpired.

Even though at the time she was heartbroken by the fact that she had failed to protect the ancient building from outsiders, in the end, the fact that the beacon was fired became a blessing for Weyard instead of a curse. But the priestess was the last to believe it, having been raised to defend the Lighthouse against invaders for so long, and still hesitated. The lonely house in Contigo changed everything.

Mia recalled so clearly the faces of those that they had chased as the truth was revealed in the settlement of Hesperia, and the tense ferocity exchanged between the two Earth Adepts. Isaac had come expecting a fight, and the cleric honestly had to agree, especially after the standoff atop the Venus Lighthouse. However, in that village the true nature of the pursued was revealed. Jenna had been worried and slightly panicked, glancing back and forth between Isaac and her elder brother with the anxiety of one expecting a battle. Sheba's face was defiant and balled her fists, prepared to defend her allies, lacking hesitation since she hardly even knew Isaac anyway. On the other hand, Felix's gaze reminded Mia of a cornered wolf; desperate and fierce enough to strike at anything that threatened him.

Only Kraden and the newcomer, Piers, had the control and even temperament to bring calm to the gathered Adepts.

The young cleric sighed as she stepped into the Sanctuary built into the stone wall within Imil, the air warming instantly as she was greeting by the flickering candles arranged intricately around the priest, who greeted her with a respectful dip of his head. Not long ago, Mia would have been the one to show such courtesy. Things had changed so much since then.

"Lady Mia, it is very late for a prayer, or should I say too early?" He said it softly, a light chuckle giving away the humor in his tone. So the young women merely smiled and stepped forward quickly, a smile on her delicate face.

"Sir, I sincerely apologize for calling at this late hour, but I have something urgent I must attend to." The formalities of her words were so easily said, especially as they had been taught so long ago. "I…received a letter from my companions in Vale. I humbly beg your understanding, but I must return to them." Mia abruptly dropped her head, not completely eager to look straight into his eyes.

But her gaze was brought back to him in an instant when the elder laughed slightly again, hands crossed loosely across his chest in mock anger. "Priestess, you know me better than that. Please, trouble your kind heart no more and return to those that call for you. As an agent of good, you must go where you are needed, right Mia?" His eyes were filled with naught but understanding and patience as the Water Adept relaxed her posture, which had unconsciously become tense.

Had combat become that much of a second nature that she reacted in such a way without even thinking about it?

"Yes! I'll set out for Vale at once! T-thank you, sir-"The young woman nodded excitedly and made for the door, but was stopped by the man's hand on her shoulder. Turning uncertainly, Mia swiveled to see the priest holding an outstretched bag towards her expectantly. "What's…?"

"For the journey," He answered quietly, "I had a feeling for quite some time that you would embark into the world once more. So don't thank me, child. I am merely doing what I feel is right." Nodding in happiness as Mia gently took the sack from his hands, the old man hobbled back to the inner sanctum with a single glance over his shoulder.

Pausing for a moment, wondering whether it was truly right to leave in such a way, but the elder's words had convinced her. "This is right…the right thing to do."

Mia packed her essentials the very moment she reentered her home, being very cautious not to wake the children sleeping nearby, and placed her gifts from the kindly priest in a thickly patched satchel over her shoulder. Dried meats and fruits went into a leather pouch on her hip for easy access, and the girl reminded herself that to ration might be necessary if she got the amount wrong. Mia tried to ignore just how quickly she slipped back into the attitude of practicality she'd developed on the journey, but it wasn't easy. Shaking her head swiftly, the Adept hefted her pack up and drew a white-furred coat around her ivory dress and made her way to the graceful handle of the door.

And, after taking one last furtive glance at the silence of her home, Mia slipped out into the night.

She made her way through the town clutching the coat close against her neck to protect her skin from the howling eternal winter of Imil under the pale glow of the Mercury beacon, hurrying to the edge of the sleepy village for a ride. At first she considered paying for a mule to take on the trip out but swiftly changed her mind upon witnessing the little caravan preparing for a journey out.

"Excuse me, are you heading southwest?" She wasted no time in finding the driver, who gave her a curious stare before replying.

"Yes, headin' on out to Vault b'fore the road takes me south. What'cha askin' for missy?" Luckily for the priestess, he had a clear accent that told her the man wasn't familiar with the north at all. Just a trader then, it seemed.

"I know this is last minute and rushed…but would you mind giving me a ride to Vault with your caravan? I'll pay my way as well…" Mia took a second to scoop a handful of coins from her pocket to offer to the man as compensation, who let her place the money in his outstretched hand with a puzzled stare. To her relief, his mouth curved into a hearty smile and the warmly gloved hand clenched slowly around her offering.

He jerked a thumb at the back of the wagon with a detached gesture, "Well, no time's like the present, right missy? I'd be a fool to turn 'way payin' customers y'know!" The driver made an impatient nod with his head and the priestess hurried and leapt rather ungracefully into the rear opening of the wagon next to a heaping pile of labeled crates and sacks. Sitting up next to a burlap bag nearly overflowing with bunches of grapes; Mia drew the furred cloth tighter around her shoulders and stared out over the whirling snow dancing on the rising wind. Her mind, now granted the chance to reflect on her new quest, felt the horror of war finally begin to take root in her youthful heart. People were going to die and that truth terrified her.

And so, the young woman prized a slice of salted pork from the ration belt on her hip and chewed it steadily to distract her roiling thoughts, one hand resting atop a nearby crate as though it were a crudely hewn armrest. Trying to at least give the small impression of being calm, she cast her face towards the tarp-like ceiling of the wagon, thoughts going further still, into the heavens beyond.

"Please Mercury, watch over me…" Mia whispered in a near-silent prayer with hands clasped tightly.

{-+-}

-Southern Contigo-

When the courier arrived breathless and exhausted on Hama's doorstep in Contigo, she paused in unease as the man brought a letter from his pocket and offered it tiredly to the uncomfortable Wind Adept. She had hesitated before allowing herself to grasp the coarse envelope as a dark feeling washed over her from what was written within, barely even the delivery man's thanks and departure as she paid him habitually. Something was terribly wrong and for a few seconds, the woman was tempted to hurl the accursed letter into the fireplace, an instinct and divining power inside her screaming that the contents would only bring misfortune.

But common sense and the notice that the sender was one of Ivan's friends stilled her hand, deciding that caution was the better thing to rely on in a situation like this. And, conveniently, her little brother chose just that moment to come barreling down the stairs of the house and almost stumbled as he reached the door where she patiently waited. "S-Hama, did another letter come from Vale?"

At first she contemplated saying no before the logical part of her brain had overridden it and handed him the note hesitantly, which was an attitude not missed by the younger boy. Ivan had always possessed a sharp eye for details and observation. Hama shook her head softly and watched him open the envelope with a practiced flip of his wrist as he broke the seal on the front, slipping the paper from its sheath. The sister didn't bother to move from his side, preferring instead to wait nearby while his eyes scanned over the words with growing anxiety, especially as the increasingly shocked expressions began to appear on his young face. When he finished reading, Ivan breathed slowly in an effort to get his composure back to him and wordlessly handed his sister the letter from Vale.

It was along the same lines that Hama had feared; though her visions were not always specific enough to determine their meaning. A cry for help and two distant nations on the verge of all-out catastrophe, and a desperate call for a former companion were contained within those words. And suddenly, things appeared very clear to her thanks to this warning from Vale. It was one of the many moments of clarity that brought great value and strength to her soul, as well as terror for the future they contained.

Could it be? That perhaps the accursed day was approaching as well?

"Hama…what am I supposed to do now?" The elder Adept brought her attention back to her brother, whose hand shook slightly as he pressed the palm against the wall to steady it. "I…I want to help them…my friends. But, I don't want to simply leave you here…"

Hama's eyes closed slowly and suppressed once again the familial love that demanded to have him stay here with her. She had done the same not once, but twice before. Had put aside her personal emotions for the sake of the world and helped to guide Ivan and his companions on the quest to save the world, and never once allowed herself the chance to be selfish. Now it seemed that in order to protect that life again, Hama would have to put aside her personal desires once more. This danger was far greater than both of them and needed to be dealt with.

"I'm sorry Ivan…but you must help them." The boy's head shot up abruptly to meet gazes with her as he appeared to deliberate their words, searching her face for an answer before she spoke again. But the ever wise Adept did not grant him the opportunity. "And I am going to accompany you as well."

Outright surprise replaced the boy's quiet thoughtfulness then, "S-sister? Are you sure…about that? There's going to be lots of fighting and I-I don't want anything to happen to you." So he was worried about her? Such a kind-hearted boy Ivan was. But there really was no need to worry, for as long her vision was true, then there was still plenty of hope to defend lives.

"Ivan, I'll be fine, I promise. I won't be getting involved in any battles unless it's absolutely necessary. I just don't have that kind of experience," She explained slowly, placing a single comforting hand upon the Wind Adept's fragile shoulder. Sometimes, it baffled the mind that this small boy had toppled opponents well over twice his size on a regular basis, despite having been two years younger than he was now. Not much of his appearance had changed even, with the exception of the typical teenage growth spurt and a somewhat more mature and angled face, altering here and there in subtle ways that made his Contigan blood appear more prominent. Still thin as a stick though and becoming more lanky by the day, but Hama believed that his friends still retained the greater height.

But judging by his now-obvious, if cautious, determination to continue, Hama could see that he had chosen to move forward. She had grown so accustomed to reading people by thought or facial features that words were hardly necessary to understand someone's meaning. But with more intimate reactions, words became more and more common. It was clear that the boy was undergoing some dilemma at the moment as he grappled with the idea of bringing her with him on this potentially disastrous quest, until those violet eyes met Hama's again with renewed strength.

"Sister…alright, then we should get going immediately for Vale. I'll call in some favors from the sailors at the docks and we can use the boat Isaac left here last time," Ivan launched into action quickly and proceeded to run up the stairs to pack any essentials for the trip. The older Adept drove into motion as well and returned to her chambers to bring anything needed for traveling to Vale, trying make certain nothing was forgotten as her thoughts were focused elsewhere. Once they took the boat, the route would take them near northern Gondowan…unless she had the sailors map out a course avoiding that area by moving upriver through the continent's tributaries. With the aid of the wind, speed would not be an issue. Hama just hoped that they could arrive before the worst happened.

"The clock is ticking," She said, snapping shut the travel case with a loud click and slinging it over her shoulder. "Let's just pray we can beat it."

{-+-}

-Vale-

"The Stone of Sages?"

Sheba's tone spoke of confusion and disbelief as she looked into the face of the dark-haired swordsman beside her, whose attitude was devoid of any trace of a joke. His days were definitely filled with more interesting happenings than she had imagined, as now Felix was effectively chasing what most people considered to be nothing but a legend. What in the world was his plan now?

"You seem skeptical, and I don't blame you." Felix measured his words carefully, thinking on how to continue, the gears in his head moving ever faster as the young man dove back into his discoveries. "The stone we speak of is an object thought to be formed from the light of purest Alchemy, or at least, that's what the legends tell us." He ran his hand swiftly though his hair again, a slightly nervous habit the earth-wielding swordsman wasn't even aware that he had, eyes averted from the wind user as he continued to explain. "But the scholar told me that what we're looking for can actually be produced given time and energy… The Stone is…our chance to stabilize that destructive force. We can cure the Wise One's worries, along with our own."

There was that fire once again.

Sheba would have gasped if she hadn't ever seen the sight before. In her admittedly short time she'd known and traveled with Felix in comparison to his childhood friends, the girl had come to recognize and memorize that fire of determination in his gaze. It brought a new life to his dark eyes. For so long, he had been devoid of that spark, robbed of his driving goal and desire. Someone with Felix's past would not have survived the journey without such a strong will and need to succeed …A will allowing him to defy both friend and foe on the ragged path to victory.

The first time she had witnessed that spark was atop the Venus Lighthouse, when the Earth Adept buried his relief for his friends' safety and crushed their fragile hopes that he would simply back down and return home, transforming his calm voice into a ferocious snarl in the process.

If the thought of this Stone was enough bring back his fire, if only for a short time, then that alone was solid proof of how important the subject was to him. "So, you already figured it out, huh?" Sheba asked with the attitude of one devoid of surprise, knowing she was speaking to someone who never allowed himself to give up and fail. Felix would always be the most stubborn person she knew.

"I wouldn't say that…it's a bit complicated to explain." There was a soft little rumble of a laugh from the older Adept who shook his head slowly, causing his hair to whirl in a sudden breeze, "Let's just say we're working on it."

"It's just technical stuff, right? Well, that's fine anyway…I know you're already advancing Psynergy as well," Sheba nodded softly, referring to the wards he developed to protect Vale. Felix told her that the ability wasn't all that complicated in the sense that he was simply viewing his powers in a different way. The wards didn't _do_ anything to the earth they stood on…just allowed him to "watch" the boundaries for intrusion.

It was the perfect sort of ability for Felix and his sealed off mind.

Sheba quickly drew back, silently chastising herself for nearly attempting a second Mind Read as her curiosity was peaked again. Why did this Earth Adept have to make things so hard for her? It was only a matter of time before the urge to invade his personal space became too strong to resist. Unfortunately, her silent deliberation had Felix staring at her with a confusing mix of amusement and fascination, probably interested in how her facial expressions shifted wildly during the mental exchange. So the young girl shook her head in an attempt to throw him off and adopted a light-hearted tone, "Never mind, it's starting to get late out here and I'll be heading to the inn soon. Go see your sister before you head back to the cottage, alright?" Sheba smiled and waited until the Earth Adept gave her a slight nod before continuing. "Good…and hurry! It's been getting colder earlier lately! See ya!"

{-+-}

Felix waited until the girl had turned the corner and disappeared, smirking slightly at her long running habit of rushing through her words without the courtesy of letting other get a word in edgewise, not that he was interested in trying to cut in. But he always appreciated her tried and true honesty and willingness to leave be certain subjects he didn't want touched, despite her curiosity. He couldn't always count on friends like Garet, or even sometimes Isaac to be tactful enough to talk to about problems (though the other Earth Adept did have some important things that only Felix could relate to), and bringing Jenna into the picture was out of the question.

Still though, Sheba was right about one thing: avoiding his sister again would not be a wise idea. Visiting her would be the last thing he'd do before heading back to the cottage though. The young man skirted around the edge of a house as he headed for his destination, using the cover of shadows to reach his parents' and Jenna's home (his as well until he separated from them). Stepping up the door with a hesitation that should not exist, Felix let his knuckles rap against the wooden surface and let his hand fall limply to his side as the sound of footsteps alerted him to the approach of someone on the other side of barrier.

He didn't have a moment to react when the door was flung open and a flash of auburn hair blocked out his line of sight and the weight of a young girl fall into him. "Felix! Where have you been?" His sister didn't give him the opportunity to reply as she pushed him back, her tone a conflicted mixture of annoyance and concern as her brother gave a small grin in response.

They bore only the resemblances that would lead people to believe they were related to each other, but little else. Fiery red hair and eyes conflicted with his deep brown hues and their personalities spiraled in opposing directions as well, leaving only their commonly shared hard-headed nature intact. And while the girl was sharp-tongued around her brother as well, it was toned down somewhat, and even Jenna knew better than to allow him to become truly furious.

"Sparring for a while…when that became irritating, I had a short talk with Sheba," He enlightened her quickly, glossing over the point where he'd lost his temper during the training and brushed himself off wearily, glad to not have let that situation escalate. "I'm…sorry for not visiting you earlier."

"That doesn't matter, idiot! I just want you to hurry up and move back in with us…" She let her sentence drop in a tangent, her volume decreasing rapidly with a glance up the stairs. Their parents must've already retired for the night. So, after glancing around for any onlookers, Felix closed the door gently and led his sister further out so they could talk. But her gaze grew steadily sharper as she noticed the serious look in her sibling's face, "Felix… You're not intending to come back, are you?" He said nothing in reply but the young woman could see the grave expression forming on her older brother's face and stepped back as the lurking shadows of watching townsfolk started to gather at the edges of her vision. Jenna could see the dull frowns on their faces and blatant disappointment, coupled with Felix's ever darkening stare as he avoided meeting their eyes. "No! Don't you dare give up on me!" Jenna instantly yanked her hand back, "If you do…I-I can't forgive you!"

Felix barely even registered the pain across his face as she struck him, far more distracted by the look of anger and sadness in her gaze as the words left her mouth, and didn't even have time to call her before the girl turn on her heel and ran. For a moment, he started after her, before the heated sting of the reddening mark on his cheek stopped him. _I've hurt her again… _Felix grit his teeth and bit back the regret that suddenly grew in his being, ignoring the villagers stubbornly as pounding feet brought him back to the little shack on the edge of town.

Panting slightly, he let one hand rest against the rough wood surface and calmed slowly. _I have to keep going…please just wait a little longer… _Pausing until his breath returned in full, Felix gripped the door handle and pushed it open, only for surprise and fierce anger to flash across his face.

His uninvited guest smiled and rolled a shining rapier between his fingers, a paper filled with Felix's research notes in the other hand, eyes rising from the notes to the face of the Earth Adept.

"It's been quite a long time, Felix."


	5. An Outstretched Hand

_**Chapter Four-An Outstretched Hand**_

_**This chapter should've been longer, but this is what I ended up with. After this, things start getting faster paced. I'll be refocusing on Ivan some more in the next chapter as well.**_

_-"The enemy of my enemy is my friend…but only until my enemy is dead."_

"What the hell are you doing here?" Felix wasted no words for the guest who sat picking through his notes with casual ease, giving the young man nothing more than a cursory glance which only further ignited hidden rage.

"Your notes on the sanctum ruins are surprisingly well documented and extremely concise as well…" The man swept his ice-blue hair over one shoulder casually and gave him a cold stare, "but they remain woefully incomplete…especially on the specifics of the Stone of Sages." His words were left hanging in the air with a rather obvious coldness, implying that he knew more than Felix and Kraden had yet discovered with the ancient writings. It was not something that the Earth Adept allowed himself to overlook for even for a second. So as his eyes narrowed on the intruder, prepared to call upon the earth beneath him, those eyes also sought answers.

"You should not have returned to this place…Alex," He murmured softly, one hand tightening noticeably as an eerie green glow formed around his hand and the ground started to rumble threateningly. Alex merely shrugged in response, carefully laying down the papers on Felix's desk without another glance in their direction, and the room dropped a degree in temperature with every second. He appeared completely unconcerned, as usual, but a slight spark of pain flashed so quickly in his eyes that the other was sure he imagined it. "But…since a traitor like you dared to come back, you should tell me everything you know about the Stone."

"Sad…please don't tell me that someone as intelligent, cynical and practical as yourself has become this much of a martyr," Alex murmured in a musing tone, genuinely confused as to the Adept's behavior and willingness to continue his charade. "Expel yourself of these worries. Allow me to help you…and the pain of rejection will fade away."

Disregarding the man 's offer, he replied by opening the palm of his hand, and Felix let out the lightest of sighs as earth rose up to meet his hand, along with a chunk of his home's boarded floor. It formed the shape of sword, crude but clearly defined. In less than a second, a shell of bright iron slid over the rough blade like liquid quicksilver and sharpened to a narrow edge no less deadly than a handcrafted weapon. There was no time to retrieve one of the enchanted swords picked up during his travels and as long as the soil-forged blade accomplished its purpose, there was no need to.

Alex seemed fascinated by the ability and studied the newly created weapon for a moment before sighing and rising to his feet with an infuriatingly pitying stare. "Why are you doing this, Felix? Or are you possibly hoping that they'll forgive you if you make the legendary Stone?" The Adept widened his eyes in shock and prepared to say something back when the icy presence cut off his words, "You know the truth, so don't delude yourself, Felix… We all knew there was to be consequences for the Lighthouses' beacons. As for the Stone…I think that know that I know your situation, you would be better off not knowing." The Earth Adept seemed to study those words, but his blade remained at the ready, showing no signs of having been dissuaded from attack.

"My motivations shouldn't be anyone's business, least of all yours. We all need this research, and my own desires have absolutely nothing to do with it," His tone of voice fell just a few notes darker, ebony eyes boring into the water wielder in front of him, to which the man grinned in a deviously wry sort of way. "Besides…I can at least punish you for repeatedly betraying me." In a flash and a single sentence, every memory of the backstabber from two years ago came rushing back to the young man's mind. Breaking the promise not to involve anyone not directly tied to their quest, by kidnapping his own long-lost sister and putting her in harm's way was the first. He also left Felix and the rest of the supposed 'prisoners' stranded without the slightest trace, only to return later with threats and warnings. Alex had long stirred a frustration and anger, coupled with the inability to fight back.

But that weakness ended here.

The Water Adept barely had enough time to bring up his rapier to block the sudden downward swipe unleashed by the dark-haired warrior, releasing a grimace as he backed away and pale blue light gathered around his free hand. Felix didn't even bat an eye as a blast of freezing ice blew apart one wall of his little house and replied in kind immediately, emerald light erupting around him as a monstrous mass of roots lurched after Alex in an attempt to ensnare him. A highly pressured spray of water cut through the giant plants while a jabbing rapier dealt with the rest, giving Felix the opportunity to close the distance between them again, sword whirling around in a massive arc. A rapid flurry of strikes and parries unleashed against one another until a shared force of energy forced both fighters back, smashing into the already weakened walls.

As he slid, Felix dragged his hand across the ground, picking up clumps of chipped wood and soil like a magnet and hurled the resultant spire at his opponent contemptuously. He frowned as a thin sheet of ice sliced the missile down lengthways, cutting it in twain and thus ceasing its progress to its target. Felix did pause however, when he noticed that his notes remained unprotected on the desk in the corner. But he didn't miss a beat, flinging an egg-like shield of iron up around the precious papers, while dashing around to Alex's side to send his blade careening into his opponent's fragile-looking blade.

The urge to laugh was peaking along with the rush of adrenaline, and the excitement generated from battle was nearly palpable. And suddenly, memories of battling monsters in the wild rushed back.

The Earth Adept's eyes burned like fire, annoyed with himself for forgetting just how it felt to really _fight. _All those little sparring sessions now seemed like pointless child's play compared to the feeling of adrenaline and cheating death. _"I'm just drawn to near-death experiences, aren't I?" _ Felix backed away for a second or two with a tiny smirk forming at his lips, wiping a smear of blood from his lip with the back of his hand.

"I see you've gotten much stronger since the last time I saw you in battle, Felix, but still… You're wasting your precious time with this outburst of yours," Alex smirked, forcing the larger sword flying at him back with a vicious jerk of his wrist, streams of water pummeling into the spot where Felix stood a second before. They tore another hole through the cabin as the house destabilized even more by the moment, yet neither combatant seemed the slightest bit concerned about the danger.

"This…" Felix held up his weapon as a demonstration, as more clumps of earth swirled upward to meet his rigid palm, "…is never a waste of time."

"I see… I understand now how starved for battle you are. So I might as well give you what you want for a time."

He cut off the sentence with a rush of water as a torrential fountain twisted around his body, preparing to hurl the mass at his foe, who was not unprepared in the slightest. Twisting plants and vines tore themselves from what was remaining of his house, meeting the beneficial water and growing even larger, forcing Alex to resort to the blade to hack them away. Momentary silence dominated the area, as both Adepts distanced themselves from each other and the roof of the shack wavered dangerously, as both of them gathered energy.

Felix paused as a shout rang through the air from somewhere other than his enemy, who stood with his entire body glowing with a pale blue glow, contrasting with the twisted tendrils of brilliant green light emitted by the earth wielder. Distracted by the sound, he didn't react as fast as usual as massive icicles sliced rapidly into a hastily constructed barrier of weakly reinforced stone. He winced more out of reflex than pain as one spear of ice cut a deep slice across his cheek and tore off a few strands of hair.

As the barrier crumbled away, he noticed that Alex wasn't doing much of anything, except for casting a fascinated eye at the small crowd that had gathered at the practically obliterated little house. Isaac stood at their head, his piercing blue eyes alight with determination and the strength of a hero, and one hand poised on the sword sheathed at his back. Behind him were Jenna and Garet, both of them with hands flickering with crimson flames that licked at the air and demanded the chance to burn and grow. On the other hand, Sheba was curiously nowhere to be seen.

Alex seemed to hesitate at this and sheathed his rapier with a dull click, clearly not interested in fighting more Adepts at once. And suddenly, Felix was furious with the way he wasn't tired after their rather destructive brawl, though he only ended up narrowing his eyes and gritting his teeth in irritation.

"Alex, what the hell are you doing here?" Isaac asked in semi-calm tones with angry azure eyes, casting glances between his friends and the unwelcome intruder as he slowly eased the sword from its sheath.

"I didn't come here for a fight," The Water Adept shrugged in false innocence, plainly claiming that he was blameless. "Your friend just lost his temper and attacked me when I was questioning him." The remark was met with obvious disbelief on all sides, no one having the interest in taking the man seriously.

"Bullshit…" Felix thumbed the blood running down his cheek slowly, voice low and clear with leveled calm now that the conflict had apparently ended. Alex quirked an eyebrow at the word, amused at his language. "You knew full well what would happen if you were to step into this town. So…what were you after?"

"Yeah, that's right!" Garet burst out, with Jenna nodding slightly in time to his words, "There's no way that you simply walking in here would be allowed!"

With the pressure mounting, Alex started to appear increasingly annoyed, his usual flippant guise faltering slightly as emotion showed clearer. Finally he gave a light sigh and addressed Isaac, choosing to ignore everyone at the moment, "Fine, if threatening people is more to your favor…" He gestured vaguely at the disgruntled Felix and his tone hardened, looking beyond the Adepts gathered before him as though something important far away demanded his attention, "I wanted to see just how much all of you have learned regarding Alchemy and…confirming my suspicions. I have absolutely nothing to gain by fighting here or now."

"Confirming your suspicions…?" Isaac paced forward, his hand never leaving the smooth handle of the blade, doubt clear in his gaze.

"Studies of the Stone…Felix knows what I'm talking about. The point of the matter is that you have no earthly idea what you're getting involved in with Alchemy…and will regret choosing this path." After hurling those last words at Felix, a white light enveloped him and before anyone could react, the Water Adept had vanished.

Garet mumbled a fierce curse under his breath and the flame disappeared instantly from his hands with a light puff of smoke, pulling them back to his sides to glare at the spot where the intruder had stood moments before. A minute of silence passed by as they realized the full implications of Alex appearing once again, broken only by a pale light of healing Psynergy as the dark-haired Earth Adept mended the gash on his cheek. The smooth, methodical process used less finesse and more focus than other healing techniques, giving the look of growing skin rather than fixing it. More like a faster version of natural healing than anything else.

"Hey, are you alright over there?" Isaac finally decided to break the silence by checking up on the fellow earth-wielder, watching as the wound faded away with each passing second. If nothing else, the silence was even more uncomfortable than the sound of clanging blades.

"Nothing to worry about," a gruff reply could be heard as he removed his hand from the now healed area, tapping the sword against the ground and released his hold on it, causing the weapon to lose shape and collapse from his hand in a brief shower of dirt and wood chips. "I only got hurt back there because I was careless and distracted. From I've seen so far, Alex's abilities haven't increased drastically or anything, though I haven't actually crossed blades with him before, we could probably defeat him with some teamwork… On the other hand, my house is practically destroyed." Felix finished that last sentence with a quiet mumble, landing a vicious kick at a plank of wood protruding from the ground. Seconds later, the stilt-like scraps still holding up the roof splintered under their weight and the rest of the cottage crumbled in a heap in front of him. "Scratch that…_completely_ destroyed."

There was an airy sigh at the situation and from who was uncertain. Earth Psynergy wasn't well suited to intricate and detailed tasks and the house would take a while to fix. "Felix, come on," Jenna chose that moment to rush forward and grab her older brother's arm in an attempt to pull him back with her, "we'll fix it later. And talking about that blue-haired jerk can wait until you've gotten some rest, okay?"

Listening to her reminded the young man just how long they had been fighting, and glanced up at the darkened sky, where a half moon was coming into focus. Maybe she was right and he should wait to deal with it once the haze of exhaustion was no longer clouding his mind, and for once realized just how tired he actually was. _Pathetic, _Felix berated himself silently, _I never lost grip on myself after a battle before. I can't believe two years was enough for me to lose that stamina… I need more training. _Caught up in his thoughts, the swordsman hardly noticed as Jenna and Isaac helped him return to the family house under the wide-eyed stares of passerby.

But the strenuous hold he'd held kept on his consciousness drifted and faded to black as he fell into the comfort of a bed that he hadn't touched in well over a year.

{-+-}

Isaac remembered just how much of a trial it had been to recreate Vale, along with the fact that many homes had to be downgraded somewhat in order to be finished before the winter chill came around, and the around the clock work done to make sure everything was completed in time. The exhaustive use of Psynergy was the only reason they finished on schedule.

The downgrading became increasingly apparent as he and Jenna lead her tired brother back to the family home, which was considerably smaller than the magnificent abode that once existed before the journey. The beds were more compact and the prone Earth Adept had to settle for the feeling of his feet hanging off the edge and would likely feel the cold in the morning. Jenna, protective and worried for her brother contrasting with a habitually sharp demeanor, had already slipped off his boots and cape in an effort to make him more comfortable.

So Isaac took the opportunity to glance over the unconscious swordsman and make sure he wasn't injured anywhere else, since he didn't trust Felix to tell him about any wounds that weren't blatantly obvious. He nodded when his worries were averted and glanced over at Jenna, who was hanging Felix's sheath belt on a lone hook normally reserved for hats or coats. She met his gaze for a moment and shook her head nervously, opening and closing her mouth several times as if rejecting many different ways to start a conversation with him.

"What's the matter?" Isaac tried to keep his voice as light-hearted as possible, "Something you need to tell me, Jenna?"

"Ye-I mean, No! I was just thinking about how to flay alive that jerk out there, that's all…" She rushed into her words then, and Isaac reasoned that she must have been referring to the escaped Water Adept. At first, the young woman's words were clearly loud, but Jenna calmed herself with a reminder of Felix sleeping nearby.

The blonde studied her face, noting the light pink dusting her cheeks, but unwilling to point it out and embarrass her even more than she was already. He had been growing increasingly aware of her interest, but so far both parties had been keen enough to skirt around the topic and avoid mentioning it in the least. The only reason why Felix hadn't found out was because of his distance from the village and the fact that he rarely visited them together. _Oh, please don't let him wake up right now… _Despite his current exhaustion, Isaac had no doubt that giving off the wrong signal at the wrong time could lead to a swift beating by the protective older sibling.

But Jenna's affection was not one-sided and though Isaac hesitated to actually bring up the topic, he was aware of growing feelings for her of something other than friendship. They'd formed a trio with the addition of Garet after the storm in Vale so many years ago, and grown close as the girl needed company with the loss of her family.

Though she had been reunited with those that were lost, it was already a bond that couldn't be easily broken.

"Don't worry, Jenna… I'm sure it'll be alright."

At first Isaac wasn't sure what exactly he was reassuring her of, distracted by the fact that she was…rather close. Whatever he was going to say next was cut off by the door flying open as another Fire Adept entered the room. Garet opened his mouth to say something, paused as he noticed the occupied bed, and continued on in a softer voice than normal.

"Isaac, I think you need to get outside. There's this messenger down here asking for you," He waved a hand in a gesture of importance, signaling outside. "I told him you were busy, but this guy wouldn't listen to me."

The blonde swordsman glanced back and forth between Garet and Jenna and rose to his feet, for some reason unable to shake the unease stirring in the pit of his stomach. "We might as well check it out. After all, it's not like we got much mail in Vale anyway," Despite his calm words though, the young man didn't feel as confident as he should have, especially considering that they had just been attacked not too long ago. "Jenna, c'mon, let's go see what this is all about. Felix will be fine being alone here for a few minutes." She looked out the window in response, then nodded swiftly and followed the two Adepts out of the little room, shutting the door softly behind her with a slight twist of the knob and flipped around to start running outside.

It didn't take long for the visitor to enter Isaac's sight and the warrior had to quickly examine him, though his eyes caught no evidence of a weapon. The man was dressed finely, in well-tailored leathers that showed luxury as well as practicality and materials too expensive to come by in Vale. He bore a haughty, upright attitude that gave a sense of arrogance and the messenger almost seemed to smirk as Isaac drew nearer. However, the expression instantly disappeared and was replaced by a polite distance so fast that Isaac wondered if he had even seen it at all.

"Greetings, I hope I didn't disturb you at a bad time," The man bowed his head lightly, one hand behind his back. "I came at the behest of my regent, who bid me to deliver this message to you, Master Isaac." Extending a narrow arm, he offered a sealed envelope to the blonde swordsman smoothly.

But the young man paused and didn't accept the letter right away, choosing to glance back and forth between the visitor and the message he carried, "And who is your regent exactly? I like to know who it is I'm being contacted by…"

Sighing, the messenger placed the letter on a nearby bench without any sense of ceremony and seemed to size up all in the area with a piercing eye, as if searching for something, before turning back to the warrior he'd addressed initially. "Pardon me, I am only a humble messenger from Tolbi," He said this silkily, as Isaac sucked in his breath sharply in response to the uttered name. "Our new regent has been eagerly awaiting the chance to meet you, especially after all the stories from two years ago. The letter will tell you all you need to know. Farewell for now, Master Isaac."

And, before anyone could regain their composure, the smiling man had already dipped his head and marched headlong out of Vale…to the south.


	6. Encroach

_**Chapter Five-Encroach**_

_**I took too long writing this chapter, mostly due to dealing with graduation and problems like that, though that really shouldn't be an excuse, and it's not even that long! Anyway, getting over my self-criticism for a moment... writing a little more from Ivan and Garet's POVs this time around, which I actually enjoy for the flame-user for some reason (he's the exact opposite of most characters I'm good at portraying). **_

_**Now that I'm advancing into the meat of the story, more planning is required and chapters may take longer to churn out (hopefully not as long as this one did though…)**_

_**zmon: Thanks for the review; it's the first since coming to this site! Granted, I've written two other stories, but they're only one-shots (and very unsatisfying). This story has actually existed in my mind for about two years, but I fell out of the fandom for a while and never got around to actually writing it down. I'm fond of using Felix's POV since his personality is easy for my style to follow, and the story will be revolving primarily around him and Isaac, so their POVs will be the most common.**_

_-"If one's heart is bold and their aim is true, even a child can slay a giant."_

- Somewhere in the Western Sea -

The ocean was a vast and terrifying thing for those used to the landlocked villages where strong soil was always in reach, always ready to surge up and tear unprepared creatures into their roiling depths, never to return. Ivan shivered disdainfully as he gaze over the endless expanse, having difficulty believing in the distant memory of a visit to the edge of the world and half-convincing himself that the water must've gone on forever. Like a beast it roared and surged against the railing of the lovely sailing vessel, threatening to flip it into the deep and dump them into the darkness.

Before, Ivan had always tasks to deal with and companions to distract himself from the rolling waves and hadn't troubled himself, but moments alone along with his sister's love of quiet and solitude brought the ideas rushing back. And if this was difficult for him, just how did Isaac always feel to be torn and detached from his stable element, or Felix? Surely even such strong wills sensed the effects as well, and Ivan off-handedly remembered Piers mentioning something about Felix having problems with sea-sickness. On the other hand, should it really be surprising for that swordsman to have an issue with water anyway?

And as for Piers well…the little Wind Adept missed not only that sailor's calming presence, but his excellent sailing ship as well. The Lemurian boat he had traveled extensively on with Isaac, Garet and Mia so long ago was a graceful creation for sure, but it had become incredibly clear that the design hinted at intent of luxury instead of practicality. Pier's vessel had certainly been faster and perhaps a little bigger as well, but outfitted with Contigan wings powered by the Hover Gem put the ship on a whole different level.

With the help of hired sailors who added their oars and manpower to our cause, things progressed fairly smoothly. Of course, the unnatural aide of the surrounding winds streaming from the young man's fingertips didn't hurt their speed either, pushing them along steadily as serpentine zephyrs caressed the wood planking of the ship they loyally guided.

As time passed, Ivan found that he could escape the ominous fear the waves produced by climbing to the highest point on the vessel and observing everything from above, far more comfortable up where the wind whipped around his thin body. It felt good, almost intoxicating at times, and the salt brine smell he normally disliked was less sharp and pungent than usual. Ivan stayed there for quite some time; watching over the sweating sailors and shouting encouragement every so often like a friendly bird from on high.

Until of course, his loudly growling stomach summoned him back down to where Hama was cooking up a warm soup for dinner, sifting her large ladle through the thick liquid slowly and tasting a tiny smidgen occasionally to check its readiness. He occasionally had tried to sneak morsels from the pot before but she always knew when he was coming and the whole attempt was in vain.

"How much longer til it's ready?" Ivan quickly, leaning precariously over her shoulder to see the contents of the bubbling mixture and reminding himself not to make note of the unappealing appearance. Everything they cooked on the vessel was either stew or vegetables and was expected not to appear particularly delicious, but how things tasted was another matter altogether and Ivan was forever thankful that his older sibling was decent at making meals or they'd have to subsist on something worse. The smell, at least, was amazing.

"Thirty more minutes, Ivan," She waved the spoon inches from his face, too busy to turn her gaze away from the steaming pot before her, "I'll call you when it's time to eat." Hama smiled at him briefly and returned to the food, gesturing vaguely to give her some space. But the brother didn't mind, after all it wasn't like either one of them was very used to the idea of being related to each other. And the younger always hesitated to ask her what she knew about his earlier childhood, too anxious to drive off the rather somber Wind Adept.

So he wandered away obediently, choosing instead to watch the sailors work and weave in and out of their ranks as the ship sliced gracefully through the churning waters and watching the horizon carefully even though land was a long ways off. Eventually they make landfall near Kalay and head north to Vale to meet up with everyone else where Ivan was certain that Isaac would have a plan to deal with the threat. He let his mind drift; casting his head backwards until only the sight of softly floating clouds filled his line of sight and unconsciously began to daydream.

"Ho! Another ship hard to starboard!" The sudden yelled jarred the young man from his musings and ran to the handrail where the signal had pointed him too, staring out over the waves and sure enough, there it was. A distant shadow of large three-masted galleon immediately filling his sight and they seemed to have noticed the Lemurian vessel as well, as the prow of the ship quickly began to turn and it was soon facing them.

The sailors were not happy to it though, murmuring quietly about their worries:

"I have a bad feeling about this…"

"You don't think it could be…?"

"We should turn the boat around fast before they…"

"What if it's them…?"

The source of their worries soon became clear as the distant ship approached and unfurled a long black flag to whip unforgivingly in the breeze, and collectively a gasp was sucked in to see it. On a plane of night black, the distinctive mark of a grinning skull and crossed bones, the flag displayed nothing but a cruel intent. Only seconds passed before the young Adept broke into a run to warn Hama, belting out shouts to alert everyone of what he had seen, followed by a plethora of yells from the group of sailors. "At attention! Pirate ship to starboard!"

"Bring the ship around!"

"We're too close, they'll catch up at this rate!"

"Where are the cannons on this thing?"

"Everyone grab a saber and prepare for melee combat!"

In no time, the once peaceful atmosphere was shattered by the ruckus of stampeding feet and hollering as the crew prepared the ship and with a sinking feeling Ivan realized that they were indeed far too close for him to guide the ship to escape. His energy was already low enough and moving the vessel far from the clutches of an attack by pirates was beyond his abilities. He only paused long enough to snatch his staff from the wheelhouse and nearly ran into Hama, whose fingers were tightly wrapped around the metal soup ladle and her eyes narrowed upon seeing the pirate ship herself. "These couldn't possibly be from Angara…"

Ivan knew what she was talking about immediately, his sharp memory grasping the knowledge of the thieving pirate Briggs that Felix had once shared with Isaac once at sea and of the problems that group had caused for him. Apparently the fearsome captain Briggs was about as harmful as a terrified puppy once Felix was through with him, not that anyone was surprised.

"No way, this has to be someone else—" He didn't get much further as the sound of a massive splash drowned out whatever he was about to say and the wood beneath his feet rocked dangerously and brought his gaze back to the other ship. Smoke was rising from a man-made square hole in the pirate galleon and Ivan noticed with some shock that the seaward thieves had fired a cannonball at them.

"Looks like they're not giving us any option but to fight…"

{-+-}

-Vale-Mayor's House-

_Fondest Greetings and Salutations_

_To the heroic Isaac,_

_I gives me great pleasure to write this letter as I have been interested in contacting you for quite some time after hearing of your exploits and adventures, not only for your stay in Tolbi back when my predecessor was still in power. Tales of that incredible clash in Colosso are truly worthy of praise, as I was also there watching the tournament in all its splendor and witness the action in person. _

_Sadly, this is not the main reason for my letter, to regale you with stories of which you are already well acquainted with, but to extend a polite invitation. _

_Within a fortnight of now, a mighty celebration and feast will be held inside the walls of Tolbi's grand palace to usher in the coronation of a new leader of this fine country. As you may have already guessed, the lucky individual is indeed I, and it would the greatest pleasure if you and your companions would attend this celebration as well. I will have luxury suites reserved for your convenience and the other seven guests of honor with my sincerest thanks._

_From the desk of,_

_Jeven Sinclair_

The letter was read and reread, crumpled up and thrown at the wall, smoothed back out, and read some more, until the abused parchment sat alone on a desk while Isaac paced back and forth in front of it. Garet watched him uncertainly, casting an uneasy glance in the direction of the paper every now and then with a tense expression, as though the letter was a wild beast that jump up and attack him. He didn't understand everything that was written and the horribly spidery handwriting gave him a big headache from looking at it too long, but there was the distinct impression that the underlying message was something unpleasant. The mere presence of the letter added a layer of tension that the flame user attempted to ignore.

Isaac had poured over the short invitation first and quickly asked to borrow the mayor's living room for a private meeting, and once their group had gathered indoors, he'd read the note aloud then proceeded to take his annoyance out on the innocent parchment before pacing as he did now.

Garet, Jenna and Sheba sat patiently at the oval meeting table while Isaac walked back and forth at the head of the room, pausing to glance at his friends and the letter every few seconds. Eventually he stopped and slammed his hands down on the sanded wood surface, startling Garet and causing the young man to jerk back suddenly as his unofficial leader started to speak, "We need to decide what to do about this soon, before the citizens get suspicious."

"What do you mean? Do we have a choice?" Garet broke the lingering tension first, not interested in listening to more anxiety-causing silence, and quite honestly, the deal sounded pretty darn good.

"It's…not that simple," The blonde-haired young man answered with a slightly pained wince on his face and hesitantly nodded towards a particularly uncomfortable-looking Sheba near the back of the room. "Can…you tell them everything you told me, please? Exactly as you remember it."

With a quick nod, the fragile little wind user stepped up to the front as Isaac took a seat nearby with a light scraping of wood against the floor, her mouth opening hesitantly as she began to tell her tale. With snapped words that ended as suddenly as she started them, Sheba spoke of the threats to the south and the very real possibility of war rushing down on them. With every awful word she spoke, the giant of Tolbi felt more and more frightening by the moment, not that Garet would ever admit it out loud, posing a threat to Kalay, Vault and…Vale.

For a while after she finished, there was nothing but silence.

"I wish we never got that stupid letter," Jenna growled finally, crossing her arms and glaring at the wrinkled parchment as though her gaze alone could set it ablaze.

Silently, everyone agreed.

"Well, we did and now something has to be done about it," Isaac reminded her, his voice slightly snap-ish near the end as the irritation of being at the head of leadership peaked into the air once more. Garet remembered how the Earth Adept had gotten stressed with the task of leading them before and now that the situation had resurfaced, that old strain crept back into his voice.

Back when four heroes had merged to become eight, Isaac had easily let the role of command slide into the hands of his fellow Earth Adept, something which no one had questioned until much later. Perhaps it was only right though.

Maybe it just made sense for those who discovered the truth of the journey to lead it to a conclusion.

"Do you think they would…do anything to us if we went?" Sheba asked tentatively, causing Garet to lose his train of thought instantly and fall into their conversation once more.

"Of…of course not! We're 'guests of honor' right? They wouldn't do anything to us!"

"Don't count on it…" A low voice cut through the tense air and everyone turned swiftly to see Felix leaning against the doorframe, having silently slipped through the now partially open entrance, a small and rather grim smile tracing his lips. Garet almost jumped in his seat, not having heard or seen the Earth Adept sneak into the house, the figure missing his usual green cloak and brown gloves. Dark eyes alighted on the crinkled parchment and crossed the short distance to it immediately and holding the object up in the air where everyone could clearly see it. "This…is nothing but a trap, however polite the words surrounding may seem."

Isaac instantly leapt to his feet and took the letter from Felix's hands, blue eyes scanning it once more with a fiercely set jaw, while the other took the time to address the still-seated Adepts.

"The letter states that an invitation has been extended to Isaac and 'seven' honored guests, which would undoubtedly include me, my sister, Sheba and Piers along with the heroes who visited Tolbi before. That makes no sense…after all, most of my group were…outlaws back then," He let those cold words sink in for a moment, averting his eyes subtly from Jenna's obvious worry, choosing instead to fix the other Fire Adept with a steely look that caused some uncomfortable shifting. "But…if we turned down the chance to join this 'celebration…'"

"We'd be pissing off the whole country and be putting a target on our heads," Isaac finished the thought bluntly, tearing the written words to pieces in his hands.

Those words set off a sudden spark of indignation within Garet's mind and he slammed one hand down fiercely on the table before him to make a point, "And they expect us to fall for this? Do we have to just walk into their trap?"

"Unfortunately, that's not an option at this point," Felix mumbled slowly, no longer meeting anyone's gaze.

"The messenger knows we got the letter too, so we can't pretend like it never showed up either," Sheba piped up with a wavering tone, reminding the cringing Garet about the strange man who had dropped off the note for them and his creepy smile.

Littering the floor with the torn up remains of Tolbi's letter, Isaac brushed his hands off and took a deep breath, crossing his arms with the determined gaze that the Flame user had seen so many times two years ago and cleared his throat stiffly. "Then there's only one last thing. We have to go anyway, and knowing that this is a trap will mean keeping an eye out for anything suspicious. Besides, considering Tolbi's move towards war, we'd have to go eventually to obtain information about their intentions and methods." One palm fell upon the table, meeting eyes with everyone present, "Of course, he'll just have to settle for fewer guests that expected."

"So..." Jenna's hands tapped at the wood slowly and Garet's face turned towards her in surprise, not expecting for her to intercede, "What are you planning to wear?"

Isaac looked considerably confused, "What do you mean, we're going to—"

At this the female Fire Adept's voice turned a few tones testier, frowning with an intensity than even caused her brother to appeared concerned and pace backward, "This is a celebratory ball, Isaac. We can't attend looking like this..." Immediately every male in the room paled and exchanged glances, eventually resulting in Felix grumbling something unintelligible and promptly walking out as suddenly as he'd appeared. Or he would have, if the dark-haired warrior hadn't nearly collided with the young woman that was now entering, long ice blue hair locks giving away her identity almost instantly and Felix jumped back with a swiftly spoken apology.

The reaction from all gathered was instantaneous, "Welcome back, Mia!"


	7. Dawn Breaks

_**Chapter Six-Dawn Breaks  
><strong>_

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><p><em>(AN): So yeah...not dead..._

_It appears that my earlier promise wasn't very valid and I owe an apology to my readers, however many there might be. I never stopped loving the idea behind this fic, although the inclination to continue it was sorely lacking. So I got another chapter out there and any reaction to this one will be the determinator to whether or not I choose to continue it._

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><p><em>-"The hardest part of beginning a journey is the first step. But preparing is the most important."<em>

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><p><strong><em>-Vale-<em>**

Isaac promised himself that he would never again even bother to mention a ball around Jenna.

The young Earth Adept was practically a coiled spring of tension even with his arms firmly crossed across his chest in suppressed annoyance, years of action making it difficult to hold himself in one place.

Immediately after the discovery of the nature of the party was revealed, which somehow was completely overlooked before, each of the young men attempted to make themselves scarce and disappeared from the scene. However, as they had all soon discovered with more than a little hint of irritation, the effort was utterly pointless anyway. And that was exactly why the blond-haired warrior found himself leaning against a scratchy wooden wall wearing a dark, navy blue suit and worrying about whether he should simply knock himself out rather than watch all the tiring festivity preparations. Isaac picked lazily at the white cuff links and made a real effort to avoid his parents, who were disturbingly eager about the idea of his dressing up, though they didn't quite know the reason behind doing it.

Within moments of having explained the situation to Mia, she suggested that acting as though it were an ordinary party for now would help to keep everyone in high spirits until actually arriving in Tolbi, rather than moping and frowning throughout the whole trip. It was a decent plan honestly, but Isaac never found ignoring the problem, even for a short time, to be healthy in the end. He just wished he knew where Felix had vanished off to, slightly envious for the older fighter's near impossible ability to simply disappear off the face of the planet when fancy ballrooms and formal wear was mentioned. Still, one concerned Earth Adept doubted whether he could evade Jenna's searching for very long.

And if that wasn't enough, there were the clothes he had to suffer through for the unwanted event.

Quality and appearance-wise, there was nothing wrong with the navy suit in particular, but the uncomfortable nagging feeling of having to wear the getup in the first place was what really bothered Isaac anyway. It felt so...stuffy, as Garet would have pointed out—wherever the Fire Adept had ran off to—and Isaac picked at the collar irritably as he waited a bit impatiently for the others to join him.

Earlier he'd brought up the point that they could wait until actually reaching the city itself before actually squeezing into these get ups, but Jenna had tactfully—as he hesitated to admit such—reminded him that if the clothes ended up not fitting properly, they would have been stuck in a rather awkward position as a result. Annoying but true, and the fact didn't make Isaac any less irritated.

"Of course our mission couldn't be simple just once. Now it's dangerous as well as embarrassing..." Isaac trailed off somewhat as the sound of approaching footsteps alerted him to the presence of his friend Garet. After looking him over for a few silent moments, the Earth Adept quickly burst into laughter.

The Flame user growled in response, distinctly unhappy about the storm grey outfit he wore, straining to fit correctly on his tall and muscular frame. "Hey, knock it off, Isaac. We all have to wear this stuff, so..." He trailed off after realizing that his friend wasn't paying any attention and turned to lean against the wall next to him and wait, ignoring the Earth Adept as he settled down. Garet frowned and scratched at one of the buttons as the laughter dissipated, "Does it really look that bad?"

"Well, maybe not so much that it looks 'bad' really, it's just...something I would never expect to see you wear in this lifetime is all," Isaac just shook his head quietly, his earlier worries beginning to fade. Once he'd seen someone else all dressed up like this and their untoward reactions to it, he didn't feel quite so uneasy about his own garb. Although it was still a little uncomfortable and strange for him at this point.

"Hey guys!" Both boys suddenly jerked their heads up as the lithe figure of Sheba came running over to them, dressed in a simple yet pretty purple dress that stopped just below her knees. She stopped whatever she was about to say to look them over, pausing only to stifle a giggle at the sight of Garet, who reddened brightly and glanced away quickly. "You two look pretty good... I guess this plan might actually work after all! Anyway...did you guys happen to catch a look at what Mia's doing right now?"

Isaac nodded while Garet shook his head. Mia had brought some changes of clothes and as it turned out, one of the white priestess gowns she'd brought with her already made for a lovely dress. Clearly she was the only one who could escape from the trial and error selection of finding an outfit for this crazy ball. Mia had gone straight to work instead, gathering supplies needed for the big journey south. The first stretch was definitely the longest, before they could adequately restock in Kalay. No one really expected the much smaller town of Vault to have everything they needed for the trip, and besides which, they had already had to deal with donating supplies to Vale and monster attacks lately.

"Last I heard, she was getting supplies," Isaac shrugged a bit, his concerns about the final destination only resurfacing once he had brought the topic back up, but Sheba didn't seem to notice this time.

"Oh, well I kind of wanted to see how she matched up, you know?" There were only some blank looks in response and the Wind Adept seemed to be disappointed with the reaction, "What? You guys seriously don't know? This is a ball, after all... People dance in groups of two, so you have to go together."

Garet blanched slightly, shaking his head and looking away, "We have to...pair up or something?"

"Relax Garet...I think she just mean that we have to have partners that complement our clothes or something..." Well, as long as he didn't get to dance with Jenna, it should be alright. Isaac didn't need that kind of embarrassment during what was supposed to be a tense situation. Not to mention the fact that Felix would be so nearby. And speaking of the currently absent Earth Adept..."So anyway, did you happen to see where Felix ran off to? Jenna's probably searching for him right now or something."

Sheba shook her head as though the question confused her, "No, she found him ages ago. Then she dragged him back to her house. Something about their dad's old suit or something." But her upbeat attitude didn't last very long, as her face dropped to the worried frown that had drawn Isaac's attention when she first enlightened him about the possible war. "Say, Isaac, could I speak to you for a second?"

After a careful nod of acceptance from the Earth Adept, Sheba quickly pulled him aside from the sulking Garet who decided to go check on Mia's progress thus far and her voice became much grimmer, dropping down to a whisper. "It turns out that Felix was actually listening in on us before..."

"Wait, when you told me about what was going on in Kalay and Tolbi? He heard that? Wait, now that I think about it...he did seem to settle in the idea of going to Tolbi pretty easily... And he told us about the other meaning to the letter as though he'd already suspected something." Isaac brought his azure gaze back up to the girl's as the Wind Adept shifted uncomfortably on her feet, "Did you not want him involved for some reason in particular? Felix is just as good a fighter as the rest of us, if not better."

"I have a bad feeling... Something awful is going to happen if he goes there, I just know it!" Her voice shifted to panic and the young man instinctively took a few steps back in worry. "I keep seeing these visions... I didn't want to tell anyone but... I know that Felix would never stand to be left behind." The young woman's head lowered, wringing the fingers of her hand in her choppy brass colored bangs.

Isaac hesitated there for a moment or two, then placed a hand on her quivering shoulder in what he hoped she thought was a comforting gesture, "What did you see?" Sheba glanced upward and a pale purple glow clouded the normal shine of her eyes.

As though slipping into a deep trance, the girl's voice darkened and grew tense and rigid with an unseen strain that Isaac suspected but couldn't see, "There was a giant, twisted tree that grew from great pain and fear...monstrous and devouring. It was unstoppable. Inescapable...and only a brilliant light could stop it. There was a man dressed in white and a giant city trapped under a field of ice. And the hounds... You can hear them howling in the distance, coming closer with each second and thirsting for fresh blood." Covering her ears, the girl shook her head to dispel the vision, breathing hard as though calling the thoughts to the forefront of her mind had caused her actual physical pain. Maybe it actually had. There was an apologetic look and the pale glow faded, "I'm sorry, I can't see any more than that."

Isaac could only close his eyes, sliding down the tree behind him to sit down, winding his fingers in his hair as those words planted themselves in his mind. "Does Felix know about any of this?"

"No, he doesn't. I haven't told him anything about them..." The girl shuffled her feet in embarrassment.

The blonde-haired Earth wielder sighed quietly and lowered his hands, "Yeah, I thought as much."

Sheba stared down at him before sitting down as well, "I know I've been making this difficult for everyone involved, but I was really hoping that he wouldn't find out why I've been excluding him. I don't know what these visions mean, and I don't want to put any more stress on Felix until I find out what their purpose is." Her fingers clutched tightly at the sleeves of her dress and she wouldn't meet his eyes, "But despite all of that effort, he ended up finding out about our conversation the other day anyway."

"Hey Sheba, look at me," Isaac snapped her out of her mumbling and the young wind user jerked her head up suddenly to meet his gaze nervously, straightening up a bit in the process. "I know Felix has a dangerous tendency of getting into bad situations. We're friends though and we'll look after each other. If you're really worried about Tolbi, I'll stick close and keep an eye out for trouble just in case your precognition proves to be true. If Felix is in danger, we'll protect him, end of story." He flashed her one of his grins and the concern seemed to fade from her face, and Sheba's tense state began to relax.

"Yeah, you're right... Thanks Isaac, I needed that..." She cracked a smile and jumped to her feet.

"Right, now what do you say we find out how he's faring against Jenna?" The two of them made a beeline for the siblings' home, and carefully knocked on the front door.

The entrance was opened by Jenna and Felix's mother, who seemed to be in the process of stifling a flood of giggles as she ushered them inside, glancing in the direction of the upstairs section. "I-Isaac, and Sheba too! C-come in... You must be looking for those two. T-they're upstairs..." The woman suddenly broke off and started laughing out loud, running into the kitchen before she could be questioned. Sheba and Isaac shared a confused glance before marching up the stairs. The young man's knuckles were halfway to the wood of the bedroom to knock before a crashing noise stopped him in his tracks.

"There, it fits! Are you happy now?" The two outside paused in confusion; that was most definitely Felix's voice and yet the fact that he was yelling was unusual enough as it was. Isaac was almost about to throw open the door when there was another thudding noise from within, "No, I'm done, Jenna. I tried it on, now leave me alone! I'm not going out there in this thing, okay?"

"Are you guys alright in there?" Sheba called out to them a little cautiously, leaning forward to hear what was happening better, while the Earth Adept next to her started to open the door.

"No, wait—!"

Isaac was immediately struck dumb when he stepped inside while Sheba reddened and went very still. The two siblings had been arguing before, but now Jenna was too busy trying to control her own giggles—much like her mother downstairs—and Felix had just stopped dead to face them down.

The brown-haired young man was now garbed in an ebony black suit that fit so perfectly it could have been made specifically for him, matching tie, and a stark white dress shirt. But even more shockingly, his long hair had been thoroughly combed and tied back from his face with a dark ribbon. From the heels of his polished black boots to well folded collar, Felix looked almost like an entirely different person. But the best part—the icing on the cake if you will—was the fact that he was madly blushing in embarrassment to be seen in such a way.

"Felix? No way, I have the wrong house, right?" Isaac started; only half paying attention to the steadily darkening scowl on the other Adept's face that he instinctively knew to be aware of when it appeared.

"Isaac..." His oh-so-quiet utterance was almost completely covered up by the sound of Jenna brushing some imaginary dust off her brother's shoulder while whistling carelessly as if to tune them out. Sheba carefully averted her eyes as the blonde earth wielder managed a slight, nervous laugh before Felix's sharply cutting tone cut across him and silenced him immediately, "...Out. Now." Before Isaac could wonder whether or not he was serious—why had he even doubted the older Adept, he certainly didn't know—the ground began a subtly rumbling under his feet and an eerie green glow permeated the air.

"Okay, I get it! We're leaving!" Sheba sprinted out the door with the young man following hot on her heels, and for some unearthly reason, Jenna as well. They didn't stop until reaching the gates of the village entrance, all the while gasping for breath in the midst of throes of laughter.

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><p>Much later in the day, Mia had finished much of the packing, running back between her friends at various intervals—even had the assistance of Garet during some of the time—and was now negotiating with the rather amiable coachman she'd had the good luck of accompanying to Vale in the first place. He was heading east after Vault, so it was the longest they would be able to make use of the services of his wagon, but it would shave off some good old-fashioned walking off their travel time. Mia still managed to net the group a bit of a ride in the wagon to help them out with the journey south. It wasn't another trip to the Jupiter Lighthouse or anything, but it was still quite a long ways to go. After the stop at Vault, there was still the trek southward to Kalay (a brief rest there of course along with any necessary resupplying) and catch a boat across the Inland Sea to the Tolbian docks to the final leg of the trip.<p>

Mia nodded and idly twirled a tiny vial of antidote in her fingers before slipping it into the satchel reserved for remedies and such, patting the side as she slung it over her shoulder. It was times like these in which she really missed having young Ivan around, not only for his polite company in comparison to the two other boys, but the fact that he was always so organized and skilled at putting things where they belong. During the original journey, it had usually been her and Ivan that handled most of the resupplying during the first part of the trip, back when they had still believed Felix's end goals to be less than honorable. He was very nice and neat with packing, or most anything really, and drew a sharp contrast to Isaac and Garet. The Fire Adept would make a good effort but he really just didn't have any skill for it whatsoever, and Isaac had too little patience and too much stress to even be bothered, just forcefully shoving whatever he needed into his bag whether it would normally fit or not.

The priestess didn't know how the other group had worked in that regard, but had a sneaking suspicion that Jenna was very much like Isaac. Small observations actually did reveal a great deal about a person.

Mia adjusted the bag resting against her shoulder before marching off to the currently empty mayor's home where Isaac had asked that they gather when all of their preparations had been completed, closing the door behind her with a quiet click. Although none of the other Adepts had arrived there yet, the meeting room wasn't actually empty as she had expected. Instead, the hunched over figure of the researcher Kraden occupied one of the chairs around the room, reading through a thick sheaf of papers covered with a combination of his curving handwriting and the sharp strokes of someone else. The old man appeared more solemn and serious than usual, and his free hand clenched around a quill so tightly, she feared it would break.

However, when she drew closer, Kraden's stare switched to her and he shifted the papers downward so that the priestess wouldn't be able to see what was written underneath, "Ah, Mia, I heard you were preparing... Finished already?" He seemed unusually tense, and the man's smile also felt a little forced.

"Yes, I just finished talking to the coachman... Ah, wait, I heard you were in the ruins all day today! You already heard about where we were going, Kraden?" That's right, the old researcher was often on trips to the collapsed remnants of Sol Sanctum where the once-great Mount. Aleph had stood before. She didn't exactly know the real reason behind, but then again, she hadn't really asked either. Either way, it must be important to leave him so high-strung if he hadn't had the news everyone else did.

Mia's words seemed to make the old man relax slightly, as though she had managed to distract him from whatever was troubling him, "Mia...I'm certain that I know you all better than that by now. I became worried something was amiss when you arrived and immediately started packing for a trip. It has something to do with that unpleasant messenger that came from Tolbi not long before you got here, I presume." The Water Adept gave a slow nod in response and Kraden took the opportunity to continue, crossing his fingers in front of his face. "I suppose I should have expected something to go afoul in Tolbi sooner or later. Their armies grow bigger every year, the release of Alchemy is changing the flora and fauna of the land, and Babi no longer lives anymore." He sighed into his hands, creasing his papers and slipping them into the folds of his cloak, mostly oblivious to the curious gaze by the nearby priestess, "Things couldn't have gone so far otherwise... I may not have agreed with everything my teacher did in his life, but at the very least, I can be assured that he never made moves to the path of war."

"War... I promise you, Kraden, we'll do everything we can to stop such a horrible thing from happening," Mia comforted him with a tough boldness mixed into her voice that hadn't existed in her past self.

"Thank you, my dear. I'll be sure to keep the situation quiet among the Valeans until you return. It wouldn't do to worry them until we decide how to respond to this matter and confirm Tolbi's intentions. I'll just tell them you were planning on meeting up with young Ivan somewhere if they ask me..."

"Well, that's not really a complete lie. Sheba sent a letter, so we might meet up along the way..."

Kraden just smiled knowingly, "Just remember to be cautious in that city. The political goals and motives of the upper class are as intricate as the webs of spiders. Felix and Isaac—especially Isaac—need to keep their eyes open for danger no matter what," The old man sighed and clambered to his feet, gripping the back of the chair forcefully to keep his balance steady, but the girl stopped him before he left.

"If you don't mind me asking, Kraden... What were those papers you were looking at before...?"

Suddenly the researcher seemed to wilt and his worried expression returned to his face, "Never mind that, Mia. We mustn't delve into things that will only make our lives more perilous." With that cryptic phrase spoken to her, Kraden clutched his robes tightly and left her without another word. Not even a minute after he left, the figure of Garet entered, slumping heavily into one of the surrounding chairs.

"Mia, did you really have to leave me to do all the packing alone? I thought we made a good team..." The fire Adept had already changed out of his suit, eagerly stuffing the storm grey cloth into a sack and moving on to the rest of the packing by himself, since the coachman had decided to head to the inn instead for a meal. Of the six Adepts who'd gathered together for this newfound mission, Garet was easily physically the toughest and strongest member of the group, though he grudgingly admitted that he didn't possess the speed or skill of their two earth wielders. Perhaps this was because he had continued to train consistently in the last two years. In comparison, Mia hadn't practiced with anything besides Psynergy in a long time; and she sorely hoped she wasn't too out of practice to be helpful.

When was the last time the priestess remembered the touch of a mace in her hands, or having to physically attack an enemy instead of support and healing from afar? Well, she had learned once, so Mia was sure that she could relearn it just as well. But one thing still concerned her... The presence of a certain person reappearing whom she was almost certain was dead. It had happened before she had arrived so...maybe Garet could actually tell her more.

"Actually...Garet, you said that earlier, before I got here I mean... Is it true that you saw Alex here?"

The young man huffed and crossed his arms, disappointed with the sudden change of subject, "Yeah, actually. I was only there for a short time though. Felix would know more about it. The two of them got into a fight and Felix's house was totally smashed," Garet flung his hands up in the air in exasperation and Mia nodded in time to his words. It was always interesting to watch the fire Adept explain things; he was always so animated and passionate about whatever he was talking about, whether he was angry, sad or happy. Still, she was conflicted about the news he brought her. On one hand, Alex betrayed them in a very harsh way, but he was still very important underneath it all. "Y'know, I always thought it was weird that you two were the only water Adepts we ever met from Imil. Was he part of the same family as you or something?" Mia's eyes flew to his immediately in surprise. Garet never ceased to be so blunt, did he? But she couldn't fault him for that, because they were friends and he only meant well...

"We're cousins actually, but back when the two of us were kids, we were more like siblings than that," Somehow over time it became more and more difficult for Mia to call those memories to mind as the ages passed, despite that fact that she now knew that Alex was alive and in the forefront of her mind. "Alex's parents passed away earlier, and we were both watched over by grandfather after that, when we were told we to inherit the task of protecting the Lighthouse." It all seemed so strange now, that her mission had been to defend a place that should have been restored from its dormancy. It made the white-clad priestess wonder if the Mercury Clan had guarded the tower back before it was extinguished.

Or even more frightening, was her Clan guarding it to _stop_ the Lighthouse from being lit, knowing what it would bring? It was a bit twisted to think about.

"Must've have been tough..." Garet sighed and crossed his arms behind his head and relaxed his feet up on the table. Mia would have commented on his lack of decorum, but then again, this was technically his territory. The mayor was Garet's grandfather, which was unsurprisingly easy to forget.

The girl entwined her fingers on the table, amazed at how easy it was to unload her worries on him. The young man may have been clumsy, but he always the first to try and cheer someone up when they were feeling down about something. "Yes, at first, but I got used to it after a while... Though, about a year or so before you, Isaac and Ivan arrived in Imil, Alex left town without a word. He was acting weird for some time before that too, and I never found out why. He would stay up all night in his room reading old scriptures even I've never touched and mentioned strange dreams. Before I even found out the reasons behind it, he was gone..." Mia quieted, her hands curling into fists, unable to decide between feeling sad or angry. Either way, she still wished Alex had not tried so hard to keep her in the dark.

"Hey, don't worry too much, Mia. Now that we know that jerk is alive, we can catch him and force him to confess his reasons, right? My dad said something along the lines of 'dead people keep their secrets' or something. But we know better now, and his secrets won't remain secret forever." Garet threw her an encouraging grin, which was infectious enough to get the girl to flash a smile as well. That's right, Alex was alive. And since he was really alive and out there somewhere, she would find her answers.

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><p><em>(AN): That end bit might be steamshipping but I'm not really sure. Mostly unintentional, but it doesn't sound bad so far. _

_As for Alex, well...his goals are more complex than one might imagine._


	8. Running the Gauntlet

**C****hapter**_** Seven-Running the Gauntlet**_

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><p><em>(AN): Thanks so much for the wonderfully helpful (and long) reviews! I have now been inspired to really put more real effort into writing another chapter for Ancient. Truthfully, I'm quite thankful for the reviews; I would utterly hate myself for giving up on this story. Not sure if I should edit the previous chapters or leave it as is to remind myself of what to avoid doing, and to compare the progress of my writing. Thoughts?  
><em>

_You're in for a treat this time around. Not just one but two battle scenes (sort of) have been smashed into this chapter, with the fast pacing to match. This chapter was written to the sound of ToS' _Fighting of the Spirit_ for inspiration. Take a listen if you're curious. Also, I decided to give the coach driver a name, but he's not too important, so don't worry. _

_Also, for this particular chapter, Garet gets to be awesome. Ivan too for a bit._

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><p><em>-"Shoot when you see the whites of their eyes."<em>

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><p><strong>-Vale, Outskirts-<strong>

A crowd gathered at the gates of Vale, ready to see off their heroes on what they believed was just a harmless trip to the south, waving and offering last minute gifts and supplies to the warriors. It was thanks in a large part to Kraden that all of Vale was ignorant of the true motives of the six Adepts for leaving on such short notice except for an only partially honest reunion with Ivan. A well-packed coach stood at the ready for boarding, the driver lounging in relaxation as he waited for the group to finish up and board so they could get moving, legs stretched out on the upraised boards before him.

The man had thus far shown little to no sign that he was as stoked to meet them as any other person who'd heard of the Adept's exploits, and hadn't shown any excitement even though he had admitted to never having visited Vale before. He had introduced himself as the traveling merchant, Gyles, but gave nothing more to his background than that. The merchant was most polite when dealing with the girls, particularly Mia, and the fatherly aura around his appearance was enough to put them at ease. Isaac shot a glance at Gyles to make sure the man wasn't impatient in any way, but the older man simply shrugged at the look and went back to his casual position, allowing the Adept to focus on the villagers.

Isaac smiled and accepted the gifts one by one, the subtle twitch in his hands the only visible sign that the earth wielder was getting antsier by the second with the delay. He had given his mother and father a bit of a farewell, laden with several very forceful promises that "yes, he would be just fine. There was no need to worry. It's just a short trip." Right from the outset, Felix had entered the coach to wait for everyone else, followed shortly thereafter by his younger sister as the two of them managed to shoulder off the worried goodbyes by their parents. They specifically made Isaac promise that Felix wouldn't be falling into any more large bodies of water while they were gone, much to the chagrin of said Adept, who hurriedly distanced himself from hearing anymore embarrassing promises.

Felix in particular seemed almost eager to leave, though the other earth Adept couldn't exactly blame him. Maybe actually getting out of the town for a while would do him some good, despite the whole, darker reason for their departure to Tolbi. Conversely, Sheba's worries weighed on his mind still, but they both knew it was far too late to prevent Felix from tagging along whether they wanted it not. Unbidden, the vision the girl imparted to him rose again in Isaac's mind:

"_There was a giant, twisted tree that grew from great pain and fear...monstrous and devouring. It was unstoppable. Inescapable...and only a brilliant light could stop it. There was a man dressed in white and a giant city trapped under a field of ice. And the hounds... You can hear them howling in the distance, coming closer with each second and thirsting for fresh blood..."_

What was the meaning behind those words?

What was supposed to come to pass?

Isaac didn't know that yet. All he was certain of was that those portents involved Felix somehow and even the slightest recollection of such things had damn near thrown Sheba into a panic. Or as close to a panic that he had ever seen her in since the Venus Lighthouse anyway.

Even if they managed to ascertain Tolbi's goals and avert the possibility of war, was this vision any better than what they stopped?

Or was it even a choice in the first place?

For one long moment, Isaac felt like he was back in that lonely house in Contigo.

He quickly shook such thoughts away; now wasn't the time to tear himself up about things he didn't understand completely. The young man turned his attention back to the coach he would soon be boarding, willing himself to think of better things for the moment.

Mia and Sheba ended up sitting together, politely bidding the villagers goodbye with less ceremony as neither of them had family in Vale in the first place, taking one of the corners of the cart for themselves and talking amongst themselves. Garet had similarly attempted a swift and unassuming farewell, but was instead almost mobbed by his cluster of a family, who all proceeded to berate, encourage and offer advice in not-so-equal measure. Eventually the fire Adept lost his strenuous patience and yelled something about being in too much a hurry to swallow more lectures and launched himself into the coach's front ledge.

Isaac finally managed to detach himself from the onlookers and joined Garet and the driver in the front of the coach and waved one long time as the wheels finally began to turn. The man would urge the mules onward with controlled shouts and snaps of the reins in his hands, to which Garet would occasionally join in with gusto. Slowly but surely, the village faded into the distance behind them, until it was little more than an indistinguishable blot on the horizon, watched over by a sphere of light over where the great mountain used to be. Slowly but surely, the tension began to drain out from his body and the group broke the silence with a sustained outburst of talking, as if old memories of traveling were now beginning to resurface. Isaac just leaned back and stared at the clouds overlooking them as a faint breeze toyed with his hair, wondering just how long it would take to get to Vault at their speed.

Next to him, Garet was drilling the driver about what being a 'traveling merchant' entailed, how to control the mules, and just about anything else about Gyle's profession that piqued his curiosity.

"You thinking about becoming a merchant, Garet?" Isaac commented off-handedly, yet still busy watching the sky, as his friend turned his attention on him. "Your grandfather might have a few words to say about that..."

"Hey, knock it off, Isaac. I'm just interested in it, that's all," The fire Adept defended himself quickly, crossing his arms across his chest while Gyles grinned knowingly in the direction of his mules. "Besides, it's not like we do any traveling unless we like...y'know...have to," Garet mumbled and nodded back in the direction of Vale to illustrate his point. Though that was true; the only times in which Isaac had done any journeying recently was to petition Vault and Bilibin for supplies, and it wasn't as though those from Vale were known to get out much anyway. The sacred duty of the villagers was to 'defend the secret of Alchemy,' and even though the Golden Sun had risen, not much about their nature had changed. The town of Vale, even now in its rebirth, was still so secluded and separate from the outside world.

Not to mention the last time that he had traveled any further than that was because the fate of the world was at stake. Suffice it to say, Isaac didn't have a lot of good vacation memories to think of. The only one who had been jumping from place to place lately was Sheba, and she wasn't even of Vale.

"I think you'd make an interesting merchant, Garet," Isaac replied after a minute of silence on his part.

His friend leaned forward slightly, eyes fixed on the mules with an odd look of clarity as Gyle's reins drove them a bit faster over a smoother patch of road, "Y'think? I'd be good at it, right?"

"You misheard me. I said you'd be interesting, not good," Isaac felt the corners of his tips twitch upward.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean, Isaac?"

"You'd scare all the customers away for one..." At the words, Garet jerked away from his best friend with an offended look, before his face lapsed into a more relaxed expression.

"You're harsh...as always..."

Suddenly, Isaac straightened up and looked behind him to see the others still engaged in conversation. Sheba and Mia were practically ignoring everyone else in favor of what must have been a very enthralling chat about the Mercury Lighthouse and its healing spring. Jenna was going on about how she absolutely _hated _riding in the coach with its constant bumping and jerks, while Felix sat beside her with the trace of a smile lingering on his face, nodding every so often to her words when prompted. Somehow the sight of it all was comforting, and the young man was at least happy to know that they were in better spirits than any other time the group had departed Vale. And the possibility that Ivan was on his way too was a definitely a factor as well.

Isaac tipped his head back and waved a hand to catch Jenna's attention, "Hey, come to think of it... Jenna, we never actually found out what you're going to be wearing for that ball, right?"

She focused on him quickly, brushing back her bangs with a casual gesture and swinging her ponytail a bit. The earth Adept found himself staring blankly at her bright red eyes for a moment before he remembered that he was supposed to be paying attention. Felix just watched them carefully on the sidelines, his dark eyes switching between Isaac and Jenna's unwarranted excitement. The girl crossed her arms and gave a challenging grin in response, "That's going to be a secret until we get to Tolbi."

Unexpectedly, that's where Felix decided to jump into the conversation, "It's a multi-layered red dress."

"Felix!" His little sister whirled on him in a sudden burst of anger, though the older sibling didn't seem too affected by this spontaneous explosion and just stared straight at her. Jenna's fists were clenched at her sides, though from Felix's unconcerned position, he seemed confident that she wouldn't use them on him. By this point, Sheba and Mia had noticed as well, laughing quietly amongst themselves while Garet focused on Gyles and the mules and pretended not to hear anything. "Why did you feel the need to blab?"

"You laughed at me," His answer was monotone and dull. Yet Isaac was almost certain that Felix was referring the instance where he and Sheba had burst into his room earlier. In fact, almost as if to compensate for the fact that he had been seen that way, the Adept's long hair appeared to be even more wild and messy than it usually was.

Hmmm...So maybe Felix was sensitive about his hair?

"You're oversensitive!" Jenna crossed her arms and looked away, not meeting anyone's eyes.

"You're not sensitive enough!" Felix's snappy answer only confirmed Isaac's suspicions.

He made sure to memorize that piece of information for future notice. And he was certain Sheba was too.

For a span of about twenty minutes, the two of them proceeded to ignore each other before forgetting about the spat entirely and the air relaxed once more. However, the ride didn't last much longer as the coach came to a sudden halt and everyone fell silent. Garet and Isaac could see the issue immediately and everyone leaned up to see; a huge landslide had collapsed the road, dragging the bridge across the river ahead into a muddy sinkhole. The massive ditch conflicted with the river itself, and the body of water had bloated outward to rise well above its normal banks. With the wooden bridge in pieces and the distance across the now larger river farther than ever, hopes of crossing it normally seemed dim.

Sheba was the first one to voice her concerns about the subject, "Got any genius ideas, guys?"

Garet turned to Mia first, "What about that water-walking skill of yours? Couldn't we get across using that?" The others had to give him props for thinking that up, but the fire Adept was quickly shot down.

"I only really understand the structure of that ability enough to use on standing water unfortunately. In a raging river like this, we'd almost certainly drown." Everyone gave a collected sigh, along with an uncomfortable shiver from Felix. There went that idea. "And sadly, this landslide appears too large for even Isaac and Felix together to move..." Mia paused for a moment, realizing at this moment that they hadn't actually told the driver about their identities as Adepts, though he didn't seem to be listening.

"Excuse me, ladies and lads," Gyles drew their eyes to the second branching road leading off to the east, and eventually seemed to wind down southward. "May add 'n hour or two to our trip, but ye see the road eastways? That path will lead us 'round the ditch here, fo' sure." The man's uplifting smile shone. Everyone was very quick to voice their approval of the idea of not having to use up energy trying to get through the impassable path before them, and the fact that there was another road seemed like a near godsend. "A'right, I can see we agree on our destination, then? Ah, but if it weren't too much trouble... I'd like to check on them mules for a minute. Been gettin' real antsy 'cause of the river."

Isaac just nodded, "Sure, go right ahead."

What was the harm?

For a few moments, Gyles saw to the mules, whose skittish movements seemed to only be getting worse by the second. However, just when the man appeared to have them settled down, there was a low, inhuman growl and the animals voiced their distress with a shriek. Two blurs of color moved in on the unsuspecting merchant with startling speed, one of them on four legs and covered in a coat of bright red fur and the other Isaac barely recognized as Felix trying to save Gyles before he was mauled. Too late as the massive wolf plowed into the driver and buried deadly sharp teeth into his shoulder to elicit a scream of pain, and by that time, everyone had jumped from the coach in an attempt to help him.

Felix was the first one to reach the beast, but instead of pulling out his sword and cutting it down (which may have taken too long), he decided to use his fist. The brown-haired swordsman's gloved knuckles connected with the side of the wolf's head and threw it back almost a yard, which he then wasted no time in unsheathing a small hunting dagger and burying the blade in the monster's neck, killing it instantly. "Jenna. Mia. Can you see to Gyles?" Felix wiped the viscous blood off his cheek and straightened up, while his sister and the priestess rushed to the now unconscious merchant, hands lit with Psynergic glow.

"Damn it, Felix, what in the world are your fists made of?" Isaac lowered his hand from the Sol Blade sheathed at his shoulder, scanning the area worriedly for traces of other monsters nearby. The other earth Adept didn't answer in words, but just held up his hand, still curled into a fist covered with a shell of limestone now crumbling from the impact with the canine's skull. "Stone. Right... Why the hell didn't I think of that?"

"Um guys? I think we've got company," Garet pointed to the rolling hills on the horizon, where a sizable pack of similarly giant wolves had gathered, clearly headed in their direction. The hoard was massive enough to lend credence to the rumors that nearby villages had suffered from monster attacks.

"I think they might have heard Felix bashing their little brother's head in. They don't look happy," Sheba laughed nervously, glancing uneasily at the corpse of the red wolf nearby. "Even worse to know, I don't think we can outrun them...Not with Mr. Gyles like this either. He'll be eaten!"

There was no choice and both of the earth swordsmen knew it. Here they had to take a stand. Yet, was it even possible to defend the merchant with being so utterly outnumbered?

Isaac drew the Sol Blade carefully, watching the hoard grow closer, "Well Felix, are you ready to..."

"I've got a better idea!" Garet suddenly came up from behind and seized a hold of Isaac's scarf along with Felix's cape, dragging them back and causing a small outbreak of stumbling. The younger of the two managed to right himself in time, but the brown-haired Adept landed in a heap before scrambling up and leveling the force of his annoyance on Garet. "Help me take Gyles to the coach! C'mon!"

"Be careful! He has some internal bleeding and we can't afford to make it worse!" Mia shouted at him sternly, her hands awash in the pale blue light of Ply Psynergy, while Jenna's Aura shone along with her.

Isaac's eyes widened as the realization set in and Felix was actually starting to look a little angry, or as much as he could while supporting a badly injured man. "Wait, Garet! You're not thinking of what I think you are, right? Because there's no way in hell that's going to work!" He wasn't seriously thinking of trying to outrun them, was he?

"You're planning on driving the coach," Felix stared at him disbelievingly, as though the unspoken suggestion from the fire wielder was a mere joke.

"Shut up, you guys! I've been watching! I know how it works!" They carefully laid the older man on the floor of the coach and the two healers immediately clustered around him to continue working on the raw, bloody wounds left by the wolf. Garet left them and dashed around to the front where he grabbed the reins and yanked the nervous mules to attention, "Now get in before you get left behind! This is going to be a bumpy ride!" The two earth Adepts jumped in then, fervently hoping that their rash friend knew what he was doing this time and Sheba leaned out over the edge to catch sight of the pursuit.

"Go, go, go! Garet, drive for goodness sake!" The girl almost screamed these words as the pack came closer, the snarls and howls of the lead ranks easier to hear than ever before. Reaction was instant. There was a loud 'Yah!' and the crack of the reins echoed through the air, jolting the animals into a fevered gallop as the hoard drew ever closer. Gravel pieces were kicked up in huge arcs like tiny shards of shrapnel as the coach skidded jerkily with each tiny turn on the loosely packed soil. "They're still gaining on us!" Sheba was playing lookout, clinging to the back entrance of the coach and watching as far out as she dared, fist clenched as zephyr swirls began to appear around her hand. "At this rate..."

Behind her, Mia and Jenna crouched over the mauled coachman, with the priestess rattling off precise directions for healing the internal damage and sealing up the broken tissue. The fire wielder was trembling slightly, but nonetheless responded as quickly as she could as the more experienced healer guided her through the process, and all the while trying not to be bothered by the flow of blood that soaked a deep red into her clothes. They hadn't known Gyles very long, yet everyone could tell that he was a kind man who was nothing but patient with them all on what was supposed to just be a short, uneventful ride to Vault. Nobody wanted to let him die out here in the wilderness.

"We can't let them catch up to us," Struck by sudden inspiration, Isaac crawled out to the back entrance next to Sheba and managed to rise to his feet by hanging on to the rim of the coach despite the bumping. Felix followed him carefully, eyes narrowing as he prepared to call upon his Psynergy. "Felix, Sheba...We'll have to slow them down while Garet keeps us moving. Got it?"

"Be careful back there! Lose your grip and you guys will go flying into that mess!" Garet's warning was shouted back to them, barely audible over the sound of pounding hooves and ever-closer howling.

"Wow, that's very reassuring, Garet," Sheba deadpanned, her hands flashing with electricity as the young girl launched an arc of energy into the heart of the hoard. A few scant wolves dropped to the earth from the blow, but the effect on the whole could have gone completely unnoticed. Two similar eruptions of stone spires ripped up out of the soil to shred the animals above them, and yet still failed to make much of an impact. "Gah! These jerks aren't even slowing down—there's just too many of them."

Felix growled and launched a wave of twisted vines that dragged even more beasts down into the tiny ravine opened up by Isaac's earthquake that sent pulsing vibration through the ground. It wasn't long however, before the three of them began to tire of their attacks and the healers' process while on such a high-speed chase was less than ideal. A trail of blood followed wherever the pack had trailed them, as the only evidence they were doing damage. Felix summoned a spire from the ground and hurled it into the mass to slaughter almost ten wolves before the gap was closed up, erasing any sign of success on his part. At the same time, the speed of the beasts had allowed several of them to lead ahead of the pack, close enough to attempt to bite and snap at the defending Adepts and pull them overboard. Two swords and Sheba's mace met fang as they came, driving the wolves back only briefly before another attack was launched upon the defending triad. "This is pointless. We'll cause several more landslides before this pack stops chasing us..."

"Vault ho! Our destination's up ahead!" Garet's shouts punctuated the string of Psynergy explosions and everyone glanced up to notice that, sure enough, the gates of Vault had become visible on the horizon. Over the years and attacks they had suffered in the past, the small village was now entirely surrounded by a high barrier which—though it was made from wood—had served them well enough for defense.

Jenna lifted her head for only second so that she could catch the problem, "The gates are shut!"

If anything, this only made Garet even more determined, the fire wielder pushing the mules even harder. "Well, we're not going to die out here, so they better open the gates before I blow them up!"

"You're insane, Garet. Just completely crazy." Felix would have said more, but the jarring creak of Vault's entrance being cranked open interrupted him, and the door swung open just in time for the coach to come skidding to a sudden halt. He, Sheba and Isaac rolled to the dusty earth, thrown—as per Garet's predictions—from the precarious positions they were in as people from the town ran up hurriedly in an attempt to close the gate. "They won't make it..." The words were hardly out of his mouth before Isaac was up on his feet and sprinting to the entrance, "Wait, what do you think you're doing?"

Isaac didn't answer. He was only thinking of trying to slow the pack down enough to let the gates slam closed and trap them out. The young man raised his right hand and called upon his Psynergy...

But there was no creak of plants or eruption of earth and stone to come ramming into the enemy with full force. Instead, the sight took the breath away from all those who had gathered to pull him back.

The Adept's body was ringed in an intense glare that grew even stronger and more brilliant around his palm, and far too bright for anyone around to look into directly for fear of being blinded. The indistinct light pulsed red, then yellow, white, and then a plethora of mixing colors like a sunny rainbow and cycled over again once more. It only lasted for a few brief moments before the glare began to fade, but the effect was instant. Though they hadn't been touched by the light, the wolves shrieked in outright fear and turned on their tails to escape with a sense of desperation that few had ever seen in monsters. The rolling hillside horizon, which had been filled to the brim with monsters, rapidly began to clear.

As the beasts disappeared into the distance with their tails between their legs in the literal sense, Isaac turned to face them dazedly, a glazed confusion casting itself across his face. His entire body was pounding with a phantom pain that he didn't understand, alongside an inexplicable exhaustion. He met the eyes of everyone around him before finally speaking, "Now...that we've arrived at Vault, the easy part...is over."

Isaac wavered, swayed and tumbled to the ground. Within moments, he was unconscious.

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><p><strong>-Western Ocean-<strong>

Another piercing crash shredded the air as the pirate ship launched yet another cannon ball into the ship that Ivan was desperately trying to defend, barreling into the prow of the Lemurian vessel just below the figurehead in a burst of smashed wood planks. He rolled to the floor as the boat rocked dangerously, glancing around but not seeing his sister within the mass of running legs that the crew had now become. The young man knew it was too late to outrun the other ship, but he could get them close enough, they'd be too close for the pirates to safely fire another round without risking damage to their own ship. Either way, they didn't possess any cannons, so retaliation was completely out of the question.

Ivan launched a ball of compressed air at one of the opposing ship's crew, catapulting him off into the waves with a distant splash. The teen wind Adept allowed himself a second of celebration before he rushed across the deck to pull his quarter staff from the captain's quarters where he'd left it. Not too long from now, the boarding plank would be dropped and distant fighting would become melee combat.

It was pure bad luck that something like this had to happen when it did. Only a short stretch over the open ocean remained before Gondowan came into sight, after which Ivan only had to lead them into one of the continent's river deltas and sail upriver to cross into the other ocean. Unfortunately, the seas were not quite as uninhabited as he had suspected initially and the Jolly Roger grinned upon them.

Just as Ivan sprinted back onto the open deck, the boarding plank dropped, sending the pirate crew running across. Armed with cutlasses, throwing knives and paddles, they surged into the sailors to attack without the slightest mercy. The hired crew met the assault with their own sabers, their brown and white ensemble clashing with the enemies' loose black garb. In mere moments, the Lemurian ship had become the battleground for a seaward clash upon an already damaged vessel, filled with the cries of the freshly injured and drip of blood that splattered along previously pristine surfaces.

Suddenly Ivan skidded to a halt on his heels as three pirates stepped into his path, each holding a curved blade and wearing a malicious smile alongside a string of chuckles. The Adept paused a moment and then took a stance, one foot forward and grasping his staff behind him. The youth extended one hand crackling with violet bolts of static in a clawed gesture and waited. "If you would..."

They attacked all at the same time, diving for the boy as he swiftly used his staff to vault into the air above them, using the leader's head as a stepping stone in the process. "You little-!" Before the man could even complete that thought, Ivan spun in the air and clubbed the muscular pirate's head in with the end of his staff, turning him into an unmoving heap on the ground while the teen landed easily on his feet. He managed a light chuckle before ducking under the wide sweep of another cutlass. Ivan slid along the wet wood and came to a halt by planting one booted heel into the crotch of the man in front of him, downing the pirate neatly while he spun to his feet once more, just in time to deflect the strike aimed at his back.

However, the others had apparently noticed his success and two more men stepped up to take the place of the ones he had defeated, the largest of which unwound a wicked-looking black whip in preparation. His dark, beady eyes locked on Ivan and smirked, "C'mon boy, children like you shouldn't be out here on your lonesome like this. If you don't surrender, I'll have to punish you..." The teen didn't deign to answer that, only choosing to grip his staff tighter as a response. "Is that resistance then, boy?"

"It is exactly that, sir." Ivan didn't allow them to strike first this time, dashing forward the instant he heard the furious yells wash over him. He felt the wind moving around him, pulsing around his legs and pushing him onward like an overeager dog desirous of the coming hunt. His element always felt this way, full of energy and excitement that would take the boy's normally calm and collected mind over if he didn't understand its flow. As it was, Ivan didn't so much as control the currents in the air as he directed where he wanted them to move, as a conductor directed his orchestra, and used that pathway as a means run even faster. Just as he and the pirates were about to clash, the young blond dodged to the side and swung his staff again, side-swiping the leader and catching another in the gut. A third target was just turning around when Ivan planted the end of his curved weapon into his stomach and unleash a burning, yellow bolt directly into the man's body, rocketing him into the wheelhouse with a crash. The noise drew in more, who all but abandoned the exhausted sailors to focus on the young teenager who was taking them down.

Instantly, the pirates were upon him, not content to be taken by surprise this time. Ivan replied with jabs and sweeps of the staff, coupled occasionally by sporadic flash of electricity that the men could not determine the cause of, and the glint of fear slowly grew in those eyes. The wind wielder dodged more often than he blocked, all too aware of what kind of effect too many saber slices could do to his weapon in due time. But there were too many opponents to completely avoid it now. He took a step forward...

Suddenly, a mighty levin bolt of violet energy blasted through the pirates in front of him in a burst of Psynergic power, hurling them bodily into the water with a force that made Ivan highly doubt whether they would ever resurface. It ripped through the air with a singing cry and burned the nostrils with the lingering smell of ozone. Standing where the blast had originated was none other than Hama, still clutching the metal soup ladle in her right hand from when Ivan had last seen her. "Are you alright, Ivan?"

"I-I'm unharmed...and you?" His older sister simply nodded quietly in response, her wary stance devoid of any injuries that the boy could openly see. "I thought you said you would stay away from the fighting, sister?" Ivan straightened up, running with her as they tried to rejoin the struggling sailors.

"It was unavoidable, Ivan. There's no need to dwell on it," The woman's voice made it clear that she had not intentionally felt the need to go rushing into danger, and the younger Adept could sense the emotion in her words without the need for the Mind Reading that the two exchanged so often. "However, all of the men here are ailing. Even with our assistance, they will be overwhelmed by sheet numbers. The cannonballs seemed to have knocked a hole in the hull as well..."

"You mean..." There was no need to complete that sentence. The ship would flounder soon.

'_Are we going to drown?'_

Whether by the pirates' hands or the rushing rage of the sea itself, the Lemurian treasure of a vessel was quickly moving towards its grave. Ivan breathed a long sigh, and his eyes briefly flashed downward to take in the sight of his weapon. The staff, Lachesis' Rule, glowed with a faint light that lingered around its brass-colored surface made of an unknown wood. And just like his staff was any time that he raised his weapon in a defensive stance, the wood composing the boat he now stood upon was in danger of breaking apart. But here, the ultimate danger would be the possibility of being dragged them into the ocean.

He thought if Isaac were there, he could stop this. It was a foolish hope, but Ivan truly looked up to him.

It was this belief that made him dare to wish for help.

And, in that same moment, his desperate wish was granted.

Ivan saw it first as a comet of burning red light, a scalding tear across a horizon of gray clouds and dull blue skies. It was shaped like the talon of some fiery hawk and streaked downward towards them in a motion mirroring that of a dive-bombing bird of prey, drawing the jaw-dropping reactions of Adept, sailor and pirate alike. Faster than the brain could process, the crimson sphere collided into the side of the marauders' ship with a massive explosion. The shell-shock ripped through Ivan's ears, leaving him with little more than a throbbing pulse in his head and a persistent ringing noise that blocked out all other sounds. Muted yelling and screaming echoed dimly in the back of his mind as the pirates scattered in an all-out panic to escape, clambering heedlessly over the bodies of the unconscious and fallen in battle. Relieved at the sudden break, but still confused, the boy raised his head to the distance to determine the source of the fiery missile.

A third ship was cruising swiftly towards them from the north, easily larger in scale than his vessel, and a dim red glow pulsed from the top of the silhouette where the comet had been shot from. Like the ship Ivan currently stood upon, this one was clearly of Lemurian make, in that a magnificently crafted dragon head rose gracefully from the front of the creation. Even more astounding was the pair of silver draconian wings attached to the sides of the vessel; they were so life-like that they even appeared to be real at first glance.

And to top it all off was the man piloting the ship and how familiar he struck Ivan. He had the frame that illuminated the man as an experienced veteran of many battles, power and elegance combined in a way that even when unarmed, strangers knew enough to not to pick fights with him. The sheathed blue blade over his shoulder was just an added bonus to that. The captain's hair was long and colored an odd teal-blue that matched his connection to the sea, which only made his piercing yellow eyes stand out even more. Appearance-wise he seemed to be in his early twenties or less, but Ivan suspected he was far older.

With the gathered crew of both of the other ships frozen in a mixture of fear, relief and uncertainty, the wind Adept only managed to whisper the name of their savior. "Piers..."

The wayward Lemurian had returned.

* * *

><p>-<em>(AN): Yeesh, longest chapter yet and possibly getting longer. _

_The Adepts are using actual weapons from the games by the way, each tailored to a user of the corresponding element. Many of those weapons do have an element after all. The Sol Blade and Lachesis' Rule were just the first ones I referenced so far.  
><em>


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